Five Years' Explorations at Thebes: A Record of Work Done 1907-1911 by The Earl of Carnarvon and Howard CarterCarnarvon, George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, Earl of
History
Five Years' Explorations at Thebes: A Record of Work Done 1907-1911 by The Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter
Carnarvon, George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, Earl of
_Inner Case._ Of thin wood, very roughly made, and painted white, with
the four ‘Amenti’ figures painted in colour upon the chest. The vertical
inscription on the front gives the _de hetep seten_ formula to Osiris,
and the name [Illustration: hieroglyph] Reth-ar-es, which seems to have
no connexion with the other names mentioned on the outer case.
The mummy was swathed in (1) the outer covering, consisting of a pink
shawl bound by three longitudinal and seven transverse yellow bandages,
(2) the inner covering of numerous narrow swathing bands bound round the
body as well as crossways, with folded pieces of linen napkins and
pieces of shawls stuffed in the hollow parts. Among these numerous
wrappings were pieces embroidered with small blue patches woven into the
fabric, some had their edges fringed, and many were much worn and
darned.
The body was of a male adult, middle aged, with the hands placed at the
sides.
1. _B_. A coffin containing a mummy of a lady named [Illustration:
hieroglyph], Maartu (Pl. XVI, Fig. 1).
The coffin is far more elaborate than the former one, and generally
finer both in workmanship and painting. The scenes painted upon it are
of the deceased witnessing the weighing of her heart against the feather
of truth in the presence of two apes representing _Thoth_, the devouring
monster _Lord of Duat_, the goddess of truth _Maat_, _Horus_, _Osiris_,
_Nephthys_, and two children of _Horus_. Below, the spirits of _Ash-Mut_
and winged figures of _Ra_ on either side.
Round the case, on the two outer sides and end, is a band of coloured
hieroglyphs; and in the interior on the bottom, a painted figure of the
goddess _Mut_ surmounted by the winged _Horus_.
All the inscriptions give the _de hetep seten_ formula invoking the gods
in favour of the deceased, they also give her name and parentage
[Illustration: hieroglyphs], Maartu justified before Osiris.
[Illustration: hieroglyph], Daughter of Amenhetep-en-auf. [Illustration:
hieroglyph], Her Mother, the Lady of the House Nanu-nes-her.
The mummy was enveloped in a well-preserved dark terra-cotta coloured
linen shroud, tied underneath and held in position by several narrow
bands of brown and yellow linen, making a rich piece of colour and
delicious harmony in contrast to the clean white and decorated interior
of the coffin. Lying at the head was a fillet of leaves, like a diadem,
sewn together and adorned with tiny petals of flowers (Pl. XVII. 2). The
swathings under the shroud were similar to the first mummy (1. _A_),
with the exception that the linen was coarser and the bandages broader
(185 mms.). Among the folds were four _Amenti_ figures and one _Bennu_
bird in wax (Pl. XVII. 2); these were placed on the right vertical
nipple line and on a level with the base of the Xephisternum.
The body was of a female adult of approximately thirty-five years of
age. The hands were placed between the thighs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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