The statements in the
introduction, that the grave systems are practically soot-free, are indeed
puzzling. However puzzlingly in another way than assumed from several authors:
The mystery is, why no soot was found, if all torches/flares and lamps
are emitting it.
Practically all graves and pyramids were already opened in
ancient times and at the time of Herodotus (around 470 b.C.) popular trip
targets. Inscriptions from this time are witness of their popularity.
At the latest since the time of the Arabs around 1000 A.D. even the inside of
the pyramids became tourist areas. Even the time which researchers and grave
robbers in the last 300 years were inside the graves might have been longer than
the presence of the original builders. And at least for this period it can be
guaranteed that no pharaonic flashlights, but torches, candles and oil lamps
were used.
So where is the soot?
Our soot caves
What authors such as Peter Krassa and Reinhard, who made
the thesis of pharaonic electric lights known to a greater public, often forget
is that we also lit up our houses, churches, offices and workshops with candles
and oil lamps well into the 20th century. And I cannot remember that Windsor
castle, Versailles or other buildings of splendour had to be repainted every two
years. After centuries of the lighting soot tracks are recognizable. But not
during a few months or years which were needed for building an Egyptian grave.
Oil lamp mark Gronk
If you want to convince yourselves of it, you can
manufacture an oil lamp from the type even Gronk, the cave man would have used
without much effort. You only need a flat bowl, for example an ashtray, a 5-10
cm long wick from natural plant fiber such as cotton, and some food oil. The
Egyptians used Palm and olive oil, the latter would be realistic enough for our
experiment. It is important that the wick contains no artificial fiber!!!
Now fill the bowl with oil, soak the wick with few oil and put it on the edge
of bowl, so that its end goes approximately 5-7 millimeters over the edge.
Ignite, and observe. If the wick is not too long, you will not be able to
discover any soot! Take a bright surface like a plate and hold it about 50 cm
over the lamp. You will not be able to discover any soot even after hours. Only
if you hold the plate into the upper, invisible edge of the flame, you will be
able to produce soot deposits. The riddle of the missing soot exists not. It's
not valid as evidence or proof of a technical form of lighting used in ancient
Egypt.
