DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11715#0162
THE LANE OF THE PHARAOHS.
tors; the face of the king was coated with a compact mass of bitumen, which completely
hid the features. At 20 minutes past 11 His.Highness the Khedive left the hall of mummies.
The work was resumed in the afternoon of the same day, and on Thursday morning,
the 3rd of June, a fresh examination of the bandages revealed inscriptions upon two of
them. The first is dated the year IX., the second the year X. of the High Priest Pinetem
1. The tarry substance upon the face of the mummy being carefully attacked with the
scissors was detached little by little, and the features became visible. They are less well
preserved than those of Rameses 11., yet they can to a certain extent be identified with
those of the portraits of the conqueror. The head and face are closely shaved, and show
no trace of hair or beard. The forehead, without being lofty or very broad, is better pro-
portioned and more intellectual than that of Rameses 11. The brow-ridge is less promi-
nent, the cheekbones are less high, the nose is less hooked, the chin and jaw are less
heavy. The eyes appear to be larger, but it is not possible to be certain of this last point,
the eyelids having been removed, and the cavities of the eyeballs having been stuffed
with rag-s. The ears are closer to the head than those of Rameses
11., and they are pierced in like manner for the reception of ear-
rings. The mouth is disproportionately wide, and the thin lips
reveal a row of white and well-placed teeth. The first molar on
the right side appears to have been broken, or to have been worn
away earlier than the rest. In short, Rameses 111. is like a smaller
imitation of Rameses 11. The physiognomy is more delicate, and,
above all, more intelligent ; but the height of the body is less, the
shoulders are less wide, and the strength of the man was inferior.
What he was himself in his individual person as compared with
gold-faced inner Rameses ii., so was his reign as compared with the reign of Ram-
mummy case of eses ii. His wars were not fought in Syria or Ethiopia, but at the
queen nefeiit-ari. mouths Qf ^ Nj]e and Qn the frontjers Qf Egypt. His buildings
(From a photograph taken at m ,
Buiak.) were of a poor style and of hasty construction. His piety was as
pompous as that of Rameses 11., but his resources were more
meagre. His vanity was, however, as boundless; and such was his supreme desire to
copy in all things the example of his illustrious predecessor, that he gave to his sons
the names of the sons of Rameses 11., and almost in the same order of birth.
The two mummies, replaced in their glass cases, will henceforth be exhibited with
their faces uncovered, like the mummies of King Pinetem and the priest Nebsouni.
As illustrating yet further the wonderful light this discovery throws upon Egyptian
history, we give Maspero's account of the unrolling of the mummies of Sekenen-Ra-Ta-
aken, a monarch of the XVIIth Dynasty, who reigned nearly 1800 years b.c.,
and of Seti 1., the father of Rameses 11. Seti holds a very prominent position in
Egyptian history. He was a great and successful warrior, and he was the father of
Rameses 11. Sekenen-Ra. is one of the heroes of early Egyptian history. He headed
the popular movement against the mysterious Hyksos kings, which, after a struggle
extending over i5o years, led to their expulsion from Egypt. He figures as
one of the heroes of an ancient romance written upon a papyrus about the time of the
Exodus, and of which the British Museum possesses a large fragment. Maspero's re-
port of the unrolling of his body, which took place June 9th, 1886, is very interesting,
as illustrative of the details of the battle in which he lost his life.
158
tors; the face of the king was coated with a compact mass of bitumen, which completely
hid the features. At 20 minutes past 11 His.Highness the Khedive left the hall of mummies.
The work was resumed in the afternoon of the same day, and on Thursday morning,
the 3rd of June, a fresh examination of the bandages revealed inscriptions upon two of
them. The first is dated the year IX., the second the year X. of the High Priest Pinetem
1. The tarry substance upon the face of the mummy being carefully attacked with the
scissors was detached little by little, and the features became visible. They are less well
preserved than those of Rameses 11., yet they can to a certain extent be identified with
those of the portraits of the conqueror. The head and face are closely shaved, and show
no trace of hair or beard. The forehead, without being lofty or very broad, is better pro-
portioned and more intellectual than that of Rameses 11. The brow-ridge is less promi-
nent, the cheekbones are less high, the nose is less hooked, the chin and jaw are less
heavy. The eyes appear to be larger, but it is not possible to be certain of this last point,
the eyelids having been removed, and the cavities of the eyeballs having been stuffed
with rag-s. The ears are closer to the head than those of Rameses
11., and they are pierced in like manner for the reception of ear-
rings. The mouth is disproportionately wide, and the thin lips
reveal a row of white and well-placed teeth. The first molar on
the right side appears to have been broken, or to have been worn
away earlier than the rest. In short, Rameses 111. is like a smaller
imitation of Rameses 11. The physiognomy is more delicate, and,
above all, more intelligent ; but the height of the body is less, the
shoulders are less wide, and the strength of the man was inferior.
What he was himself in his individual person as compared with
gold-faced inner Rameses ii., so was his reign as compared with the reign of Ram-
mummy case of eses ii. His wars were not fought in Syria or Ethiopia, but at the
queen nefeiit-ari. mouths Qf ^ Nj]e and Qn the frontjers Qf Egypt. His buildings
(From a photograph taken at m ,
Buiak.) were of a poor style and of hasty construction. His piety was as
pompous as that of Rameses 11., but his resources were more
meagre. His vanity was, however, as boundless; and such was his supreme desire to
copy in all things the example of his illustrious predecessor, that he gave to his sons
the names of the sons of Rameses 11., and almost in the same order of birth.
The two mummies, replaced in their glass cases, will henceforth be exhibited with
their faces uncovered, like the mummies of King Pinetem and the priest Nebsouni.
As illustrating yet further the wonderful light this discovery throws upon Egyptian
history, we give Maspero's account of the unrolling of the mummies of Sekenen-Ra-Ta-
aken, a monarch of the XVIIth Dynasty, who reigned nearly 1800 years b.c.,
and of Seti 1., the father of Rameses 11. Seti holds a very prominent position in
Egyptian history. He was a great and successful warrior, and he was the father of
Rameses 11. Sekenen-Ra. is one of the heroes of early Egyptian history. He headed
the popular movement against the mysterious Hyksos kings, which, after a struggle
extending over i5o years, led to their expulsion from Egypt. He figures as
one of the heroes of an ancient romance written upon a papyrus about the time of the
Exodus, and of which the British Museum possesses a large fragment. Maspero's re-
port of the unrolling of his body, which took place June 9th, 1886, is very interesting,
as illustrative of the details of the battle in which he lost his life.
158