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Further specimens of stored products insects found in ancient Egyptian tombs
J. stored Prod. Res., 1972, Vol. 8, pp. 83-86.
Pergamon Press. Printed in Great Britain.
SHORT COlidMUNI CATION
Further
Specimens
of Stored Products Insects
Found in Ancient
Egyptian
(First received 29 October 1971, and injnalform
Tombs
22 November 1971)
A NUMBERof insect species, associated with stored foodstuffs at the present time, have been found in the remains of food placed in the tombs of ancient Egypt. Previously published information is summarised in Table 1. The two wasps found in sycamore figs are concerned in the pollination of the fruits and do not attack them when dried. The remaining species in the table are associated with the same types of material as they infest at the present day. However, as SOLOMON (1965) commented, the difficulty is to decide if the material was infested at the time it was put into the tomb or at a much later date. TABLE ~.EARLIERREPERENCESTO INSECTSFOUNDINANCIENTEGYPTIAN TOMBS
Source/Date of origin
Material
infested
Insects found _
VI Dynasty ca. 2500 B.C.
Author --
-_-
ANDRJSS “grains
or flour”
Tribolium spp.
1931
(ALFIERI) 2300
B.C.
barley
Sitophilus granarius L.
Tut’ankhamfin 1345 B.C.
Not stated
Lusioderma serricorne Fabr. Stegobium paniceum L. Gibbium p&oides Czemp.
ALHERI
Tut’ankhamim 1345 B.C.
Not stated
Stegobium paniceum L. Lasioderma serricorne F. Tribolium castaneum Herbst. Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. Rhyzopertha dominica F.
ZACHER
Necrobia rujipes de Geer Dermestes ftischii Kug.
ALLAUD
Sycophaga sycomori L. Apocr@a longitarsus Mayr.
GALIL
Ramses II 1235 B.C. 1200-1085
mummy B.C.
Figs (Ficus sycomorus L.)
83
SOLOMON 1965
1931
1937
1908
1967
26
20
24
26
27
tan coloured lump clearly bread
tan coloured lump recognisably bread
dark brown brittle porous lump
dark brown brittle crumbs
dark brittle crumbs with some lumps
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1549 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1449 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1399 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1399 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1399 B.C.
5
6
7
3
21
Thebes XI Dynasty 2049 B.C.
2
dark brittle crumbs
Badari pre-dynastic 2999 B.C.
1
18
(m&r)
Protein content
red-brown
red-brown
red-brown
blue
blue
red-brown
red-brown
Reaction with iodine
SAMPLES WITW INSECT REMAINS FOUND
tan coloured flaky material
Description
2. ORIGIN AND DESCRIPTION OF BREAM
Source/period/approx date of sample
._-__~_-__I_.-.__~-
Specimen number
TABLE
(many
of Stegobium
paniceum
5 complete Stegobitrm jmniceum with many fragments 3 Brucon hebetor
elytra
2 fragments
nil
4 complete Stegobium paniceum many fragments
remnants of moth cocoon sand grains)
Insect remains found -I_..-_-.-
%
SHORT
85
COMMUNICATION
Seven more samples of bread have now been examined and the findings are recorded in Table 2. The presence of S~gob~um ~a~~ceurn (L.) is in agreement with earlier observations. Samples 2 and 7 contained very large numbers of isolated ~tegob~~m mandibles. These, with other fragments of Stegobium, were separated successfully from the remains of the bread on a xylene-water interface. This suggests that the cuticular wax layer was still present. The remains of a moth cocoon in Sample 1 were too broken up to give any indication of the species. E’hestia spp. or Plodia inteupunctella (Hubn.) might be expected but careful search of the insect fragments produced no remains of adult or larval moths. The three specimens of Bracon ~ebeto~ (Say), which are in fairly good condition, are the most surprising item in Sample 7. There was no evidence of moths in the sample. Bracon is well known as a parasite of moth larvae in stored foods but there appear to be no records of it attacking S. paniceum. The presence of larvae and pupae of Stegobium suggests that the conditions for preservation of the less robust were good. Sample 1 gives slight evidence that the bread in tombs was attacked by moths so that the bread from Sample 7, which comes from a different site, also might have been attacked. If so Bracon might be expected. The missing evidence is a clear identification of the remains of Bracon and moths from the sample of bread; this may come from other material whenever it is available. It is perhaps as well to point out that the bread was the unleavened bread of the Bible made from Triticum dicoccum (Schubl), the two row emmer wheat rather than the more modern type (TACKHOLM and TACKHOLM, 1941, p. 225 et seq.). Two chemical tests were carried out on the remains of the bread after the insect fragments had been removed. Samples 3 and 4, which are well preserved, gave a distinct purple colouration with iodine to indicate starch. The remaining samples gave a red-brown colour showing that the original starch had broken down to polysaccharides. The protein content, found by the method of LOWRY et al. (1951) is given in Table 2. Modern white bread contains about 80 mg/g of protein while brown bread, which is more nearly comparable contains about 90 mg/g. These degraded samples therefore contain about one quarter of the protein found in modern bread. P. R, CHADDICK
26, Castle Hill, Berkhamsted, Herb, England.
Mena House, Aldbury, Herts., England.
F. FILCE LEEK
‘~~k~a~l~~~e~~~-We wish to thank Mr. R. J. HART for measuring the protein content of the samples REFERENCES ALFIERI, A. (1931) Les insectes de la tambe de Tut’ankhamti. Bull. Sot. ent. &yfite 15, 188-189. ALLAUD, C. (1908) Notes sur les colCopt&restrouv& dans les momies d’Egypte. Bull.Sot.ent.,??g_ypa
1, 29-36.
86
SHORTCOMMUNICATION
ANIXES,A. (1931) Catalogue of the Egyptian Tenebrionidae Bull. SQC.ent. &gyjte 15, 74-125 (Footnote by A. Alfieri on p. 122.). GALIL,J. (1967) Sycamore wasps from ancient Egyptian tombs. 1ssaeE.J.Ent. 2, l-10. Loway, 0. H., ROSEBROUGH, N. J., FARR, A. L. and RANDALL,R. J. (1951) Protein measurements with the Folin phenol reagent. J, bio& Chem. 193,265. SOLOMON, M. E. (1965) Archaeological records of storage pests: Sitophilus grunarius L. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from an Egyptian pyramid tomb. J. stored Prod. Res. 1, 105-107. TACICHOLM, V, and TACKHOLM,G. (1941) Flora of Egypt. Vol. 1. Fouad 1 University; Cairo, 574 pp. ZACHER,F. (1937) Vorratsschldiinge und Vorratschutz, ihre Bedeutung fur Volksernh&mg und Weltwirtschaft. 2. fcyg. Zool. 29, 1-I 1.
Pergamon Press. Printed in Great Britain.
SHORT COlidMUNI CATION
Further
Specimens
of Stored Products Insects
Found in Ancient
Egyptian
(First received 29 October 1971, and injnalform
Tombs
22 November 1971)
A NUMBERof insect species, associated with stored foodstuffs at the present time, have been found in the remains of food placed in the tombs of ancient Egypt. Previously published information is summarised in Table 1. The two wasps found in sycamore figs are concerned in the pollination of the fruits and do not attack them when dried. The remaining species in the table are associated with the same types of material as they infest at the present day. However, as SOLOMON (1965) commented, the difficulty is to decide if the material was infested at the time it was put into the tomb or at a much later date. TABLE ~.EARLIERREPERENCESTO INSECTSFOUNDINANCIENTEGYPTIAN TOMBS
Source/Date of origin
Material
infested
Insects found _
VI Dynasty ca. 2500 B.C.
Author --
-_-
ANDRJSS “grains
or flour”
Tribolium spp.
1931
(ALFIERI) 2300
B.C.
barley
Sitophilus granarius L.
Tut’ankhamfin 1345 B.C.
Not stated
Lusioderma serricorne Fabr. Stegobium paniceum L. Gibbium p&oides Czemp.
ALHERI
Tut’ankhamim 1345 B.C.
Not stated
Stegobium paniceum L. Lasioderma serricorne F. Tribolium castaneum Herbst. Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. Rhyzopertha dominica F.
ZACHER
Necrobia rujipes de Geer Dermestes ftischii Kug.
ALLAUD
Sycophaga sycomori L. Apocr@a longitarsus Mayr.
GALIL
Ramses II 1235 B.C. 1200-1085
mummy B.C.
Figs (Ficus sycomorus L.)
83
SOLOMON 1965
1931
1937
1908
1967
26
20
24
26
27
tan coloured lump clearly bread
tan coloured lump recognisably bread
dark brown brittle porous lump
dark brown brittle crumbs
dark brittle crumbs with some lumps
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1549 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1449 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1399 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1399 B.C.
Thebes XVIII Dynasty 1399 B.C.
5
6
7
3
21
Thebes XI Dynasty 2049 B.C.
2
dark brittle crumbs
Badari pre-dynastic 2999 B.C.
1
18
(m&r)
Protein content
red-brown
red-brown
red-brown
blue
blue
red-brown
red-brown
Reaction with iodine
SAMPLES WITW INSECT REMAINS FOUND
tan coloured flaky material
Description
2. ORIGIN AND DESCRIPTION OF BREAM
Source/period/approx date of sample
._-__~_-__I_.-.__~-
Specimen number
TABLE
(many
of Stegobium
paniceum
5 complete Stegobitrm jmniceum with many fragments 3 Brucon hebetor
elytra
2 fragments
nil
4 complete Stegobium paniceum many fragments
remnants of moth cocoon sand grains)
Insect remains found -I_..-_-.-
%
SHORT
85
COMMUNICATION
Seven more samples of bread have now been examined and the findings are recorded in Table 2. The presence of S~gob~um ~a~~ceurn (L.) is in agreement with earlier observations. Samples 2 and 7 contained very large numbers of isolated ~tegob~~m mandibles. These, with other fragments of Stegobium, were separated successfully from the remains of the bread on a xylene-water interface. This suggests that the cuticular wax layer was still present. The remains of a moth cocoon in Sample 1 were too broken up to give any indication of the species. E’hestia spp. or Plodia inteupunctella (Hubn.) might be expected but careful search of the insect fragments produced no remains of adult or larval moths. The three specimens of Bracon ~ebeto~ (Say), which are in fairly good condition, are the most surprising item in Sample 7. There was no evidence of moths in the sample. Bracon is well known as a parasite of moth larvae in stored foods but there appear to be no records of it attacking S. paniceum. The presence of larvae and pupae of Stegobium suggests that the conditions for preservation of the less robust were good. Sample 1 gives slight evidence that the bread in tombs was attacked by moths so that the bread from Sample 7, which comes from a different site, also might have been attacked. If so Bracon might be expected. The missing evidence is a clear identification of the remains of Bracon and moths from the sample of bread; this may come from other material whenever it is available. It is perhaps as well to point out that the bread was the unleavened bread of the Bible made from Triticum dicoccum (Schubl), the two row emmer wheat rather than the more modern type (TACKHOLM and TACKHOLM, 1941, p. 225 et seq.). Two chemical tests were carried out on the remains of the bread after the insect fragments had been removed. Samples 3 and 4, which are well preserved, gave a distinct purple colouration with iodine to indicate starch. The remaining samples gave a red-brown colour showing that the original starch had broken down to polysaccharides. The protein content, found by the method of LOWRY et al. (1951) is given in Table 2. Modern white bread contains about 80 mg/g of protein while brown bread, which is more nearly comparable contains about 90 mg/g. These degraded samples therefore contain about one quarter of the protein found in modern bread. P. R, CHADDICK
26, Castle Hill, Berkhamsted, Herb, England.
Mena House, Aldbury, Herts., England.
F. FILCE LEEK
‘~~k~a~l~~~e~~~-We wish to thank Mr. R. J. HART for measuring the protein content of the samples REFERENCES ALFIERI, A. (1931) Les insectes de la tambe de Tut’ankhamti. Bull. Sot. ent. &yfite 15, 188-189. ALLAUD, C. (1908) Notes sur les colCopt&restrouv& dans les momies d’Egypte. Bull.Sot.ent.,??g_ypa
1, 29-36.
86
SHORTCOMMUNICATION
ANIXES,A. (1931) Catalogue of the Egyptian Tenebrionidae Bull. SQC.ent. &gyjte 15, 74-125 (Footnote by A. Alfieri on p. 122.). GALIL,J. (1967) Sycamore wasps from ancient Egyptian tombs. 1ssaeE.J.Ent. 2, l-10. Loway, 0. H., ROSEBROUGH, N. J., FARR, A. L. and RANDALL,R. J. (1951) Protein measurements with the Folin phenol reagent. J, bio& Chem. 193,265. SOLOMON, M. E. (1965) Archaeological records of storage pests: Sitophilus grunarius L. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) from an Egyptian pyramid tomb. J. stored Prod. Res. 1, 105-107. TACICHOLM, V, and TACKHOLM,G. (1941) Flora of Egypt. Vol. 1. Fouad 1 University; Cairo, 574 pp. ZACHER,F. (1937) Vorratsschldiinge und Vorratschutz, ihre Bedeutung fur Volksernh&mg und Weltwirtschaft. 2. fcyg. Zool. 29, 1-I 1.