Historical documents describing the use of organic yellows in archaeological painting are reviewed. Microchemical tests for their identification are given. Spectrofluorometrical examination and uv-vis solution spectrometry of organic yellow dyes from two 3rd-century Egyptian mummy cloths are described. The identification of the dyes is based mainly on comparison of fluorescence spectra (3-dimensional) with references. An index file of topograms for historic natural dyes is being prepared. Figures, references.