MoAW Weekly Spotlight - The Royal Mummy Of A Boy Pharaoh

March 12, 2021

Spotlight:

THE ROYAL MUMMY

Of A Boy Pharaoh

Opening Soon:

Visit MoAW.org for Updates

Become a Member of MoAW Today

Membership Starts When We Reopen

Get 14 Months for the Cost of 12

Follow, Like, and Share

MoAW's Spotlight

With Friends & Family

on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

"Feverishly we cleared away the remaining last scraps of rubbish on the floor of the passage before the doorway, until we had only the clean sealed doorway before us. It soon became obvious that we were but on the threshold of the discovery." Howard Carter

Royal Mummy of Tutankhamun and Funerary Bier

The much anticipated opening of the third coffin, delayed by the sudden death of Lord Carnarvon, revealed the pharaoh’s mummy which measured 5 ft. 4 in. in length. Wrapped in linen bandages enfolding over 150 carefully placed sacred jewels and amulets and liberally anointed with consecrated lustrations, his body had been badly damaged, its brittle tissue withered and blackened by excessive application of the very resins intended to preserve it. His face, protected by the gold mask suffered the least. Encircling his head was a splendid royal diadem (bearing a simple, knotted ribbon design) of gold inlaid with cloisonné and semiprecious stones. His fingers and toes were individually capped with plain gold sheaths and his feet were fitted with a pair of ornamental sandals made of gold.

As the priceless treasures on Tutankhamun’s person were removed by Carter, the youthful pharaoh’s fragile remains were senselessly torn to pieces. A second examination of the mummy in 1968 revealed possible evidence of a fatal blow to the skull behind the left ear.

Most recent DNA tests and computerized tomography (CT) exams showed he suffered from malaria, a fractured lower leg and congenital deformities associated with inbreeding that was common among Egyptian royalty.

The methods of embalming, or treating the dead body, that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as life-like a manner as possible. So successful were they that today we can view the mummified body of an Egyptian and have a good idea of what he or she looked like in life, 3000 years ago.

Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. The earliest mummies from prehistoric times probably were accidental. By chance, dry sand and air (since Egypt has almost no measurable rainfall) preserved some bodies buried in shallow pits dug into the sand. About 2600 B.C., during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties, Egyptians probably began to mummify the dead intentionally. The practice continued and developed for well over 2,000 years, into the Roman Period (ca. 30 B.C.–A.D. 364). Within any one period the quality of the mummification varied, depending on the price paid for it. The best prepared and preserved mummies are from the Eighteenth through the Twentieth Dynasties of the New Kingdom (ca. 1570–1075 B.C.) and include those of Tutankhamen and other well-known pharaohs.

Process

The mummification process took seventy days. Special priests worked as embalmers, treating and wrapping the body. Beyond knowing the correct rituals and prayers to be performed at various stages, the priests also needed a detailed knowledge of human anatomy. The first step in the process was the removal of all internal parts that might decay rapidly. The brain was removed by carefully inserting special hooked instruments up through the nostrils in order to pull out bits of brain tissue. It was a delicate operation, one which could easily disfigure the face. The embalmers then removed the organs of the abdomen and chest through a cut usually made on the left side of the abdomen. They left only the heart in place, believing it to be the center of a person's being and intelligence. The other organs were preserved separately, with the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines placed in special boxes or jars today called canopic jars. These were buried with the mummy. In later mummies, the organs were treated, wrapped, and replaced within the body. Even so, unused canopic jars continued to be part of the burial ritual.

The Study of Mummies Today

Ancient writers, modern scientists, and the mummies themselves all help us better understand the Egyptian mummification process and the culture in which it existed. Much of what we know about the actual process is based on the writings of early historians such as Herodotus who carefully recorded the process during his travels to Egypt around 450 B.C. Present-day archaeologists and other specialists are adding to this knowledge. The development of x-rays now makes it possible to x-ray mummies without destroying the elaborate outer wrappings. By studying the x-rays or performing autopsies on unwrapped bodies, experts are learning more about diseases suffered by the Egyptians and their medical treatment. A better idea of average height and life span comes from studying the bones. By learning their age at death, the order and dates of the Egyptian kings becomes a little clearer. Even ties of kinship in the royal line can be suggested by the striking similarities or dissimilarities in the skulls of pharaohs that followed one another. Dead now for thousands of years, the mummy continues to speak to us.

MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities while establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.

Click here to DONATE directly to MoAW, the Museum of Ancient Wonders

Next Week:

Do you have a favorite piece at MoAW you would like to see highlighted in our weekly email? You can visit www.moaw.org, see the collections tab, visit the catalogs, and state your choice on the link below.

Click to write to [email protected]

Help MoAW reopen during the pandemic.

After shuttering MoAW on 3 separate occasions for 2020. being closed more often than open, and with rising rates of infection, Riverside County moved back to Stay At Home Orders. Help MoAW and other Riverside County businesses reopen. The more people adhere to protocols, get tested, get vaccinated, and stay at home, the better for state-wide statistics.

Riverside County offers free testing and vaccinations at several sites, call Riverside County Health to schedule your vaccine.

1-888-634-1123

Thank You

Members Perks

So many reasons to join MoAW, you help keep the museum open, allow us to acquire new artifacts, plan and present programs including the Second Friday Fantasy, and help local students learn about ancient civilizations and human origins.

For all that you do to help us we thank you in many ways:

Unlimited free admission for one year
Free Guest Passes (see Membership levels for details)
Invitations to Members-Only exhibition receptions and programs
Priority registration and discounts on programs and special events
Special rental rates for hosting events (see membership levels for details)
Copies of exhibition catalogs (see Membership levels for details)
Unique travel opportunities through the Museum Travel Alliance

During the initial phase of "The Pause," we offered new members two extra months with membership. While we are back in "The Pause" we are offering this again. Current memberships will be extended by the amount of time we are closed and new members, 14 months of membership will start when we reopen. Click below for more information and to join.

Thank you.