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New clues illuminate mysteries of ancient Egyptian portraits

Same artist painted several lifelike paintings buried with mummies

Egyptian portraits

ANCIENT FACEOFF  Digital analyses of Egyptian portraits dating to more than 2,000 years ago indicate that the same person created all three artworks. Many pigments in the paintings probably came from ancient Greece, which influenced Egyptians’ turn to a modern style of portrait painting.

Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology/Univ. of California, Berkeley

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

WASHINGTON — Scientists are getting a clearer picture of how ancient Egyptians painted lifelike portraits that were buried with mummies of the depicted individuals.