SEM microscopy of mummified skin

The skin is a tissue composed of different layers. Each of them carries out a specific function. Epidermis, mainly constituted of keratinized cells, guarantees protection from dehydration and pathogen agents whilst dermis, composed in particular of collagen fibers provides resistance to tensile strength and compression. Analytical technique were more often applied to archaeological remains to characterize the constituting materials and their state of preservation. The knowledge of the modification mechanisms of the skin during time represents a fundamental condition for setting defined protocols of museum conservation of a particular class of archaeological remains: Mummies. The skin of some Egyptian mummies, natural and embalmed, from the collection of the Museum of Anthropology