Mysteries of Ancient Egyptian Artworks Revealed After 3,000 Years

Hidden details of ancient Egyptian paintings from around 3,000 years ago have been revealed by researchers.

A team of scientists used portable devices to perform chemical imaging on artworks in their original context, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. The chemical imaging techniques used in the study provide a glimpse of what lies under the visible surface of a painting.

They enabled the team to "discover things that were right in front of our eyes but remained unseen because of the blinkers we are wearing without knowing it," Philippe Martinez of Sorbonne University, an Egyptologist and lead author of the study, told Newsweek.

The researchers analyzed two paintings in detail, both of which are located in tomb chapels within the Theban Necropolis, revealing previously unseen alterations and details about their composition.