DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3388#0025
THE UNFLESHED SKELETON
IS
on the neck, the dead man had evidently been
restored to his living shape, as had Ranefer, and he
had been dressed with wooden models of the fastenings
of the clothes, as had Nefermaat.
The condition of the body itself is of great
interest, as although most of the wrappings had
gone to dust, yet a considerable quantity remained
in situ, strong enough to bear handling and ex-
amination. The main examples were on the left
radius and ulna, which still bore wrappings to the
thickness of about half an inch, and on the neck
vertebrae wrappings about I inch thick still remained.
On examination of the left radius and ulna, it was
found that no particle of flesh or skin intervened
anywhere between the wrappings and the bones,
the linen lying directly on the bare bone. The two
bones were correctly adjusted, and had been wrapped
as one, the linen being so well wadded between them
as absolutely to touch and to give the idea that each
had been wrapped separately. There were also
scraps of linen adhering in the hollows of the wrist
sockets, and on the bearings of the elbow joint.
The right humerus still preserved bandages all
over the joint, while the left humerus also had a
quantity of thick bandages on it.
Many of the other bones also shewed clearly
remains of linen adhering directly to the bone
itself.
Out of 17 vertebrae found loose, 6 had clear
traces of woven stuff in between the processes.
As the head still had the neck vertebrae adhering
to it, it was possible to check this, and it was found
that the bandages were wound round and round the
bare bones, wadded between them, and completely
in between the processes, to form with the bones a
solid mass ; thus restoring the original form to the
neck (pi. xi, 4).
The backbone had evidently not been taken to
pieces in order to unflesh each vertebra separately,
as a twisted black-brown substance, looking like
dried glue, ran through the vertebrae, no doubt the
dried spinal cord. Moreover, had the backbone been
taken to pieces, the wrappings would not have been
merely wedged in between the vertebrae, but each
vertebra would have been wrapped separately.
The sacrum also had a considerable quantity of
linen remaining on the bare bone, both on the
concave and convex sides, and four of its holes were
still blocked up with cloth wads.
The sacrum had been taken from the backbone,
and wrapped separately, for linen remained on the
articular surface of its base. In some of the crevices
a stain resembling a dried splash of varnish was
observed, doubtless the remains of tissue imperfectly
removed.
On both shoulder-blades the linen was adhering
to both sides, and in the case of the left one it still
remained inside the hollow of the socket.
On the right blade a small patch of varnish-like
tissue was observable, to which the linen had
stuck.
Both the collar-bones had wrappings adhering
directly to them, and the sternum had linen on
the inside and outside, as well as in each of the
clavicular hollows.
Of the 40 ribs and fragments of ribs discovered :—
12 shew linen on the concave side,
12 „ „ „ convex „ only,
16 „ no sign whatever.
40
Of the 40 bones of the hands and feet found :—
13 have linen inside the joint,
7 „ „ elsewhere, but not inside the joint,
20 „ no linen at all on them.
40
As we found a small fragment of compressed
bandages, which shewed the marks of three fingers
without any signs of the bones or joints, it is evident
that the finger bones were built up again in their
original arrangement, that each finger was bandaged
separately, and finally that the whole reconstructed
hand was bandaged as one.
One of the knee-caps had linen inside the cap,
while the other shewed no trace anywhere.
The wrappings of the leg bones had fallen to
powder, which made a big heap all over the bones.
There was therefore nothing to be observed from
them, except that they also were quite clean.
A noticeable feature was that the penis had been
cut off and bandaged separately (pi. xi, 5).
We now come to the head, which presents some
strange details. Skin was clearly observable, as a
pale brown parchment on the cheeks, and scalp,
on which last there was a considerable quantity of
curly black or very dark brown hair. But the skin
had been removed from the brow all round the
eyes.
There was no trace of the dried-up eyes in
the eye-sockets, which had been filled level with
IS
on the neck, the dead man had evidently been
restored to his living shape, as had Ranefer, and he
had been dressed with wooden models of the fastenings
of the clothes, as had Nefermaat.
The condition of the body itself is of great
interest, as although most of the wrappings had
gone to dust, yet a considerable quantity remained
in situ, strong enough to bear handling and ex-
amination. The main examples were on the left
radius and ulna, which still bore wrappings to the
thickness of about half an inch, and on the neck
vertebrae wrappings about I inch thick still remained.
On examination of the left radius and ulna, it was
found that no particle of flesh or skin intervened
anywhere between the wrappings and the bones,
the linen lying directly on the bare bone. The two
bones were correctly adjusted, and had been wrapped
as one, the linen being so well wadded between them
as absolutely to touch and to give the idea that each
had been wrapped separately. There were also
scraps of linen adhering in the hollows of the wrist
sockets, and on the bearings of the elbow joint.
The right humerus still preserved bandages all
over the joint, while the left humerus also had a
quantity of thick bandages on it.
Many of the other bones also shewed clearly
remains of linen adhering directly to the bone
itself.
Out of 17 vertebrae found loose, 6 had clear
traces of woven stuff in between the processes.
As the head still had the neck vertebrae adhering
to it, it was possible to check this, and it was found
that the bandages were wound round and round the
bare bones, wadded between them, and completely
in between the processes, to form with the bones a
solid mass ; thus restoring the original form to the
neck (pi. xi, 4).
The backbone had evidently not been taken to
pieces in order to unflesh each vertebra separately,
as a twisted black-brown substance, looking like
dried glue, ran through the vertebrae, no doubt the
dried spinal cord. Moreover, had the backbone been
taken to pieces, the wrappings would not have been
merely wedged in between the vertebrae, but each
vertebra would have been wrapped separately.
The sacrum also had a considerable quantity of
linen remaining on the bare bone, both on the
concave and convex sides, and four of its holes were
still blocked up with cloth wads.
The sacrum had been taken from the backbone,
and wrapped separately, for linen remained on the
articular surface of its base. In some of the crevices
a stain resembling a dried splash of varnish was
observed, doubtless the remains of tissue imperfectly
removed.
On both shoulder-blades the linen was adhering
to both sides, and in the case of the left one it still
remained inside the hollow of the socket.
On the right blade a small patch of varnish-like
tissue was observable, to which the linen had
stuck.
Both the collar-bones had wrappings adhering
directly to them, and the sternum had linen on
the inside and outside, as well as in each of the
clavicular hollows.
Of the 40 ribs and fragments of ribs discovered :—
12 shew linen on the concave side,
12 „ „ „ convex „ only,
16 „ no sign whatever.
40
Of the 40 bones of the hands and feet found :—
13 have linen inside the joint,
7 „ „ elsewhere, but not inside the joint,
20 „ no linen at all on them.
40
As we found a small fragment of compressed
bandages, which shewed the marks of three fingers
without any signs of the bones or joints, it is evident
that the finger bones were built up again in their
original arrangement, that each finger was bandaged
separately, and finally that the whole reconstructed
hand was bandaged as one.
One of the knee-caps had linen inside the cap,
while the other shewed no trace anywhere.
The wrappings of the leg bones had fallen to
powder, which made a big heap all over the bones.
There was therefore nothing to be observed from
them, except that they also were quite clean.
A noticeable feature was that the penis had been
cut off and bandaged separately (pi. xi, 5).
We now come to the head, which presents some
strange details. Skin was clearly observable, as a
pale brown parchment on the cheeks, and scalp,
on which last there was a considerable quantity of
curly black or very dark brown hair. But the skin
had been removed from the brow all round the
eyes.
There was no trace of the dried-up eyes in
the eye-sockets, which had been filled level with