Rebecca Stacey
Scientist
Organic chemistry/analysis; natural
products (resins, gums, tars, bitumen, fats and waxes); food
residues
Department: Conservation and Scientific
Research
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8884
Email: rstacey @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Rebecca’s expertise is in the characterisation
of amorphous natural organic materials such as varnishes, adhesives
and food residues. Her research applies chemical analysis to
address questions concerning the source, production, use and
alteration of these materials throughout the Museum’s collections.
Her main interests are natural products such as resins, tars, gums
and waxes.
Rebecca’s background is in archaeological
sciences. She later specialised in analytical chemistry applied to
ancient organic materials, in particular food residues. She further
developed her skills in organic analysis in the commercial sector
before joining the British Museum in 2001.
Rebecca maintains the Museum’s gas
chromatography and mass spectrometry facilities.
Current British Museum projects
Fitzwilliam Museum Egyptian coffin catalogue (varnishes, glues
and media)
Previous British Museum projects
Roman ointments
Turquoise Mosaics from Mexico
The Blackening of Egyptian Blue
External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies
-
Publications
Most recent publications
R.J. Stacey, ‘Materials and
techniques of the paintings: paint media and varnishes’,
in The Nebamun Wall Paintings: Conservation, Scientific
Examination and Re-Display, A. Middleton and K. Uprichard
(eds), (Archtype, London, forthcoming)
Janet Ambers, Rebecca Stacey and John
H Taylor, ‘Writing that cannot be erased: Investigations of a box
of pigmented inlays from the tomb chapel of an Old Kingdom noble’
in British Museum Technical Bulletin 1, (2007), pp.
49-50
C. McEwan, A. Middleton, C.
Cartwright and R. Stacey, Turquoise Mosaics from
Mexico. (The British Museum Press, London, 2006)
R.J. Stacey, C.R. Cartwright and C.
McEwan, 'Chemical Characterisation of Ancient Mesoamerican ‘Copal’
Resins: Preliminary Results.' Archaeometry 48, (2006), pp.
323-340.
R.J. Stacey, 'Scientific examination
of the Asby Scar sword and scabbard (203) - Chemical analysis of
organic material', in British Iron Age Swords and
Scabbards, I. Stead (ed.), (The British Museum Press, London,
2006)
V. Daniels, R. Stacey, A.
Middleton, 'The blackening of Egyptian Blue', Studies in
Conservation, 49 (2004) pp. 217-230
C. Heron, R.
Appleby, J. Frith and R. Stacey, 'Sweetness and
light: chemical evidence for beeswax at tallow candles at Fountains
Abbey', Medieval Archaeology, XLVIII (2004), pp.
220-227
R. Stacey, 'Evidence for the use
of birch-bark tar from Iron Age Britain.' PAST, 47 (2004),
pp. 1-2
O. E. Craig, J.
Mulville, M. Parker Pearson, R. Sokol, K.
Gelsthorpe, R. Stacey, and M. J. Collins, 'Detecting milk
proteins in ancient pots.' Nature, 408 (2000), p. 312
R. J. Stacey, C. Heron, and M. Q.
Sutton, 'The chemistry, archaeology and ethnography of a Native
American insect resin', Journal of California and Great Basin
Archaeology, 20 (1995), pp. 53-71