The recent archaic discovery of ancient Egyptian mummies at Thebes : a lecture delivered to the members of the Young Men's Christian Association, at Margate, February 15th, 1883 / by Sir Erasmus Wilson.

  • Wilson, Erasmus, Sir, 1809-1884.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The recent archaic discovery of ancient Egyptian mummies at Thebes : a lecture delivered to the members of the Young Men's Christian Association, at Margate, February 15th, 1883 / by Sir Erasmus Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    hieratic inscriptions crossing the region of the chest, as on the coffin of Seti, relating to the care with which the mummy of the defunct king had been superintended. The wrappings of the mummy were loose, and when removed, the ovals bearing the double name of Rameses were found delineated in ink upon his breast, whilst an inscription badly written was discovered on the summit of his head. To this series, likewise, belong three additional coffins, some canopic jars, and some fragments of bronze, ivory and wood ; whilst amongst other miscellaneous objects was a stool which bore the name of Rameses IX. of the 20th dynasty, fitting and suggestive memorial of the investiga- tion of tombs which we know to have been set on foot during the reign of that Pharoah. Among the notabilities of the 21st dynasty are two—the queen Notem-Maut and the king Pinotem—who are remarkable for the excellent workmanship and richness of ornament of their coffins. The coffin of Notem-Maut was double, it had been superbly enamelled and jewelled, and thickly covered with gold-leaf. The hieroglyphs and decorations were formed of fragments of precious stones and vitreous paste set in gold. The general effect was astonishing for brilliancy and splendour. But all this display had been fatal to its preservation, the greater part of the gold and jewels having been picked off until only the bare wood remained. Within, the treatment of the queen was in no degree gentler; her mummy had been ransacked, and her papyrus taken away. This is the papyrus which, by a curious fate, is now divided between