A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about an experiment I had completed, concerning an ancient Egyptian adhesive that was used in the most recent Sherlock Holmes. In the movie, a sandstone block had been broken into pieces, and glued together with a mixture of egg and honey, only to be washed away with the London rain.
With just the description in the movie, I set out several experiments to test Holmes’ deduction. I found that an egg and honey mixture did not glue together and showed obvious signs of tampering; also, although just a honey concoction glued the rock together, it left a very shiny residue. Both combinations dissolved with water. Also, the type of rocks I used were just ones I found and broke apart outside in the garden. I am no geologist, and nearly failed Geology 101 in college, so I have not clue what sandstone is, what it looks like, or where I would find it.
So, after writing up my experiment, I decided I would do a little more research into the details of this topic.
In the movie, Holmes called the solution an ancient Egyptian mild adhesive, containing a mixture of egg and honey (2009). Egg and honey, separately or together, were used during the ancient Egyptian times (Lucas, Nicholson). The Egyptians used both organic and non-organic materials for adhesives; organic adhesives included oils from animals, plant nectars, bitumen, beeswax, resin, honey, and egg (Lucas 2, Nicholson 475). Both the egg white and yolk can be used separately or together, as long as it has been diluted with water (Nicholson 476). Using just the yolk does cement objects together and will not dissolve after drying (Nicholson 476). Using only egg white will not join anything together. Before brushing any egg white onto anything, the white must be whipped to break up the protein albumen, which makes the white very stringy (Nicholson 475-476). Using the liquid underneath the froth, from after the whipping, it can be used as an organic adhesive (Nicholson 476).
According to Edward Keller, sandstone is a type of sedimentary rock (72). Sedimentary rocks that undergo chemical or physical changes as layers of sediment are pressed together (Keller 72). There are two types of sedimentary rocks; detrital, which are formed by parts of broken rock that form together, and chemical, created from deposits that come into contact with chemical or biochemical processes by particles dissolved in water (Keller 79). Sandstone is classified as a detrital sedimentary rock, and they type of stones is classified by grain size (Keller 81).
The strength of a particular rock is tested by the compressive strength measurement (compressing rocks to tests when breaks or fractures occur) (Keller B-1). Using the metric formula of N/m 2 (Newton per meter-squared), here is a table of rock strength, including sedimentary:
| Table B-1: Compressive Strength Measurements | ||
| Rock | Type | Force (10tothe6 N/m2) |
| Igneous | Granite | 100 to 280 |
| Metamorphic | Quartzite | 150 to 600 |
| Sedimentary | Limestone | 50 to 60 |
| Sandstone | 40 to 100 | |
The strength of the sandstone varies with the type (Keller B-1). For example, Graywacke is a mixture of sand that has several different grain sizes, making it very weak (Keller 81). Quartzose sandstone is made mostly of quartz and is one of the stronger types of sandstone (Keller 81). I am assuming the Blackwood’s tomb, if it were real, would have been made of a strong type of sandstone, possibly quartzose.
From the small amount of research I was able to accomplish without a college library or resources, I have been able to conclude two inquiries. Even without honey, the mixture of an egg can be used as an organic adhesive. Furthermore, sandstone can be used as part of a crypt as long as it is the stronger type. However, I have been unable to see whether or not sandstone, when broken, can holds its weight before a solution of egg and honey can be dissolved with water, or in the movie, rain. The only way to find this would be to recreate the movie. Seeing as I am unable to do that, or even find sandstone (or even the size of said sandstone), I can only rely on what I have found.
Using this information, in the coming days or weeks, I will recreate my experiment using new techniques to see if I can find a better conclusion.
Note: I am not a geologist, nor have I barely studied anything to make me an expert. Please take anything I write with a grain of salt! What I write up is how I understand it to be! Should I be wrong, please comment and I will change it!
If you have any ideas on how to continue this experiment, please comment! I have some ideas that will work but anything more is always helpful! Thanks!!!
Work Cited
Keller, Edward A. Introduction to Environmental Geology. 3rd Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey. 2005.
Lucas, Alfred and J.R. Harris. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. Dover Publications, New York. 1999.
Nicholson, Paul T. and Ian Shaw. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom. 2000.
Richie, Guy (Director). 2009. Sherlock Holmes. Silver Pictures. Hollywood, CA
It feels like spring is finally here! The sun has come out, the frogs croak through the night, gardens are being plowed and weeded.
It has almost been a year since I graduated college but it feels like an eternity. The world has kept going, while my life has suddenly stalled. My plans for graduate school have been halted for at least another year, there are no jobs opening at the moment, and my grandmother went to the hospital at 7pm on the 16th (she is fine, just had kidney stones).
Side Note: Drinking coffee without drinking any water will make you eventually get kidney or gallstones! So, if you are like me and enjoy a cup every day, or even more than a cup, drink water! Also, apparently cranberry juice helps your urinary system, as well as your immune system.
But when I went out to eat with my mother, after going to an interview (for her) and the fabric store, I got this in my fortune cookie:
Maybe I am about to embark on the real purpose of my life, whatever that may be!
Until next time!
Assuming that Sherlock Holmes is correct, I have decided to put his logic to the test. I will be testing the hypothesis that an old ancient Egyptian egg and honey adhesive could keep broken rocks together, and then unglue when subjected to water.
Materials:
2 broken rocks (I just found two small ones and broke them apart)
1 whole egg white
1 teaspoon of honey
Stirring stick (I used a butter knife)
Small bowl
Colander
A liquid measuring cup with at least 2 cups capacity
Newspaper
Paper Towels
Procedure:
Outside, I found two small rocks that I broke apart using a rock-on-rock approach. Rock 1 is red-ish and was very crumbly; Rock 2 is black and solid. After breaking them, I washed and dried the rocks. While waiting
for them to dry, I created the mixture of egg and honey.First, I laid some newspaper down where I was going to work so I would avoid a huge mess. Taking a small bowl, I cracked the egg and separated the yolk and white. Pouring the egg white into a small bowl, I added a teaspoon of honey. Mixing it with the stirring stick/butter knife took about five minutes to combine. Then, taking Rock 1, I covered the broken area in
the mixture, stuck to rock together, and placed aside. On Rock 2 I placed only honey on the rock for comparison. (Pic 1: From left to right: egg/honey mixture; rock 2 and rock 1 after been glued)
After a day and half, I administrated the rain/water test on the rocks. Placing the rocks individually into a sink, I measured 2 cups of water in a measuring cup and poured it into a colander, which was above the rock. If the rock did not separate independently, I continued with 2 cups of water, until the rock(s) separated.
Results:
At first the egg and honey mixture would not merge, it merely separated. However, after mixing if for about five minutes and letting it sit, the mixture combined.
Rock 1: Once the egg and honey mixture was applied to the two sides of the broken areas of the rock, I tried to piece it back together. The mixture did not stick and the rock, even after a couple of hours, never stuck. It seems that the gooiness of the egg white neutralized the stickiness of the honey.
During the rain test, it took only two cups of water to remove any evidence of the mixture.
Rock 2: Instead of using the mixture, as I noted in the results for Rock 1 that the mixture would not stick, I just used honey. Instantly, the two pieces stuck together. However, the honey left a sticky residue and an obvious sign that the rock had been tampered with. After letting the rock sit for a day, undisturbed, I found that the two pieces did stick together, but was easily torn apart under little stress.
During the rain test, it took six cups of water to break apart the rocks independently and to remove the honey from sight.
In Conclusion:
From my final results, I discovered that a mixture of egg white and honey, when applied to two sides of a broken rock, will not stick together but will be easily washed away with water. Using honey, although the rock will show signs of tamper, would be the best way to glue two pieces of rock together. (Pic 2: Final results of what rock 2/1 looks like after been washed)
There were several variables within this test that could have affected the test results. First off, I did no research outside of watching Sherlock Holmes for this experiment. Also, I do not have any limestone lying around anywhere so I could not test that part of the theory.
Perhaps in another experiment I will try different methods with the egg and honey. Maybe using all of the egg, or just the yolk of the egg, would make the mixture sticky; maybe even heating the honey up first. For now, I feel that I have debunked Sherlock Holmes’ theory of how Lord Blackwood, breaking through a thick barrier of rock, was able to arise from the grave.
Side Note: In the movie Sherlock Holmes discovers the egg and honey mixture by licking the limestone. Unlike the movie, I used whatever rocks I could find from my yard, where my dog urinates. So, whether you can taste the honey or egg after the rainfall is NOT something I am going to test. Why? A. Salmonella poisoning as I have no insurance and would love to avoid the possibility of contracting it for as long as possible; B. My dog most likely relieved himself on the rocks, at one point at least.
