Mummy of Maatkare Mutemhat

Maatkare Mutemhat was the daughter of Pinedjem I, the powerful High Priest of Amun, who, in his reverence for the past, bestowed upon his children the names of Egypt’s greatest rulers. To his daughter, he gave the throne name of Queen Hatshepsut, linking her legacy to that of one of the most formidable women to have ever ruled. To his son, he gave the name Menkheperre, honouring the warrior pharaoh Thutmose III.

Born of noble blood, her mother, Duathathor-Henuttawy, was a daughter of Ramesses XI, the last sovereign of Egypt’s 20th Dynasty. Maatkare’s lineage was woven with kings and gods, her very name translating to “Maat is the soul of Re”—a testament to her divine purpose, embodying the cosmic balance of Maat and the celestial power of Re.

The mummy of Maatkare Mutemhat, God’s Wife of Amun, was prepared with a devotion befitting her sacred role. Her body, enshrined in layers of ochre and resin, bore the golden hue of divinity, a reflection of the sun god Re, to whom her name was dedicated. Over her serene countenance, powdered resins were gently scattered—perhaps an offering, or a final act of reverence by those who laid her to rest.

Hers was the earliest known embalming of its kind with the then “new” packing style, with false eyes embedded into the eye sockets, and Maatkare Mutemhat’s face was packed with mud and painted with a warm ochre with false eyes.

During this period, as usual, mummification was used in an attempt to preserve not only the body but the very essence of life itself, however, unlike the previous mummification techniques, this style of over packing the face, seems to have over time created more of a cartoonish face, making it difficult to see the real features of the deceased, and burials from this period are often easily recognizable by the trained eye.

Maatkare Mutemhat’s dark hair, untouched by time, lay carefully arranged, and her fingernails—symbols of refinement and beauty—were tied with fine strings, lest they be lost to the stillness of eternity. The deep grooves left behind in her fingers spoke of this meticulous care, a final effort to keep her whole as she journeyed beyond the mortal realm.

Maatkare Mutemhat: The High Priestess and Her Sacred Companion

Among the many enigmatic burials of Ancient Egypt, few are as captivating as that of Maatkare Mutemhat, a Theban High Priestess whose tomb yielded a mystery that baffled scholars for years.

At her feet, nestled in a small, carefully wrapped bundle, lay what was first believed to be an infant—a startling find given that Maatkare, as God’s Wife of Amun, had taken a sacred vow of chastity. If this were truly a child, it would suggest she had broken her solemn oath, a revelation that could have reshaped historical understanding of her role.

For decades, this perplexing possibility lingered, until in 1968, X-ray analysis unveiled the truth: the tiny mummy was not human at all, but an African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops).

This revelation transformed the find from scandal to sentiment, painting a poignant picture of the priestess’s bond with her cherished companion. The presence of the mummified monkey suggests not only personal affection but also a spiritual connection, as animals were often believed to hold sacred significance in Egyptian religious practice.

Maatkare was not alone in her devotion to an animal companion. Her half-sister, Esemkhet, was interred alongside her pet gazelle, its delicate frame lovingly mummified and placed beside her in the tomb. Such burials reflect the profound reverence the Ancient Egyptians held for animals—not merely as earthly companions, but as beings worthy of preservation for eternity.