Egyptian queen Hatshepsut is depicted on a painted limestone statue in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Photograph by Kenneth Garrett, National Geographic Stock
January 14, 2010
Cleopatra and her kin knew a thing or two about crafting an alluring smoky eye.
Now French researchers suggest that the ancient Egyptians' heavily painted eyelids did more than attract admirers—they also protected against eye infections.
(Related: "Scorpion King's Wines—Egypt's Oldest—Spiked With Meds.")
Artifacts and documents from ancient Egypt show that everyone, man or woman from servant to queen, wore black and green powders coated thickly around the eyes.
"People wore it on a daily basis," said study co-author Christian Amatore, from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France.
According to ancient Egyptian manuscripts, the eye makeup was believed to have a magical role, in which the gods Horus and Ra would protect wearers against several illnesses.
Bacterial eye infections such as conjunctivitus, for example, would have been a common problem along the Nile's tropical marshes.
But previous chemical analyses of powder residue, taken from ancient makeup containers, had isolated four lead-based compounds.
That would seem to suggest that the makeup was harmful, since lead can be highly toxic to humans.
Makeup's "Magic" Required Hard Work
Instead, the new study found that the low doses of lead salts in the makeup may have actually had beneficial properties: When the salts come into contact with skin, they boost the body's production of nitric oxide.
This chemical is known to stimulate the immune system and help fight off disease-causing bacteria.
Based on the amount of the lead compounds in the ancient makeup, a wearer's nitric oxide levels would have increased by 240 percent, the study found.
"Two of these chemicals do not occur naturally, and would have taken 30 days of hard work to make," Amatore said.
"In my opinion, [the ancient Egyptians] were aware that these compounds brought good health, and they were making them on purpose."
The research is detailed in the January 15, 2010, issue of the journal Analytical Chemistry.
RELATED
Most Popular News
-
Pictures: Bird Mummies "Fed" After Death, Stuffed With Snails
Some of the millions of ancient Egyptian ibis mummies were "fed" after death, scans reveal—the better to live through the afterlife.
-
Lake Vostok Breached
Russian scientists have confirmed that they have breached the subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica—a first.
-
Oldest Animal Discovered?
Could 760-million-year-old African "sponges" be humankind's earliest known ancestors?
Advertisement
From the Web
-
From Huffington Post: Wolf Fosters Kitten
Adorable footage shows a pet wolf looking after a tiny kitty.
-
From Huffington Post: Rare Albino Hummingbird Spotted
The tiny bird was seen visiting a backyard in Virginia.
News Blogs
-
[Errno 2] No such file or directory: u'/nas/ngdm/wpf/static/media-live/photos/000/484/cache/48494_60x45.jpg'
Young Explorer Catches Gelada Fight on Film
NG Young Explorer Shayna Liberman catches violent, hours-long dominance battle between males in stills and video.
-
Texas Moves to Save Critical Groundwater
Ogallala Aquifer has dropped as much as 150 feet.
-
Good News, Bad News on U.S. Energy Outlook
The "all of the above" energy approach Obama championed in his State of the Union speech is at odds with U.S. climate goals.
ScienceBlogs Picks
Connect With Nat Geo
Got Something to Share?
Special Ad Section
Great Energy Challenge Blog
Green Living Hot Topics
-
Organic Air Fresheners
Avoid toxic chemicals and create a calming space.
-
Surprising Recyclable Household Items
With a little know-how, you can recycle more than you think.
-
Side Effects of Vegetarianism
Find out how to stay healthy and eat lower on the food chain.
