King Merneptah was originally buried within tomb (KV8) in the Valley of the Kings, but his mummy was not found there. In 1898 it was located along with eighteen other mummies in the mummy cache found in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35) by Victor Loret. In their search for gold, the tomb-robbers split the...
This two finger amulet depicts stylized human fingers that are about life-size. Two-finger amulets were used exclusively for the dead and were often found on the lower left of the torso. This is the area of the incision that was made during the mummification process in order to remove the internal organs. These amulets were...
Mummification is the process of preserving the body after death by deliberately drying or embalming flesh. This typically involved removing moisture from a deceased body and using chemicals or natural preservatives, such as resin, to desiccate the flesh and organs. Older mummies are believed to have been naturally preserved by burying them in dry desert sand and were not chemically treated.
The dwarf Perniankhu is depicted in this statue wearing a traditional, curled wig; his face is strong and displays a quiet serenity, strength and power. His eyes are framed in black and the eyebrows are well-defined. The right hand is placed upon his right thigh and holds the sekhem-scepter, his left hand, across his chest,...
This elegant triple lamp with lotus of King Tutankhamun is delicately carved, incised, and polished from one block of alabaster. The central cup is shaped like a lotus chalice, rising on a long stem, and is flanked by two smaller bud-like cups on sinuous stems, each with a leaf spreading out horizontally, as if they...
This silver libation stand used to receive water offerings to the dead or the gods. The text includes the name of the king Amenemope, and the words this fresh libation which has come forth from Elephantine and which emerges in the region of Heliopolis. referring to the annual flood of the Nile. In ancient Egypt,...
The pectoral of of Sithathoriunet is composed around the throne name of King Senusret II. It was found among the jewelry of Princess Sithathoriunet in a special niche of her underground tomb beside the pyramid of Senusret II at Lahun. Hieroglyphic signs make up the design, and the whole may be read: “The god of...
This funerary gold mask originally covered the face of the mummy of Wendjebauendjed, an army general of Psusennes I. Colored glass paste forms the eyes and eyebrows. The general’s face is idealized and detailed, with a slight smile. The mask covered the face, neck, and ears. It ended at the forehead where six small-perforated tongues...
Pendant in the shape of a ram headed falcon (gold, lapis-lazuli, turquoise and carnelian), found on the mummy of an Apis bull in the Serapeum of Memphis at Saqqara. This pendant takes the form of a falcon with a ram’s head, with outstretched wings and legs. This is a composite figure of a deity, almost...
The outer coffin of Seshepenmehyt is made of sycamore fig wood, with elaborate polychrome painted decoration. A winged solar disc covers the right breast, and below, a narrow scene showing the weighing of the deceased’s heart (at right). At the level of the knees, Anubis is represented mummifying the deceased as she lies on a...
