DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3389#0012
THE BURIALS
remove whole ; the footcase is shown in pi. xi, 7,
evidently a cast from the feet of a living girl,
coloured pinkish yellow with black sandal straps.
Large gilt twisted anklets with lions' heads are on
the ankles; and the rhombic bandaging of four
layers had very large gilt buttons in the hollows,
with others across the chest, and ten rows on the
ankles as seen in the photograph. (Univ. Coll.
Lond.) The head cartonnage was knocked to
pieces and decayed. E had a gilt head-piece but
no foot-case ; rhombic bandage of four layers, but no
buttons. The layer of bandage under the top was
green. F was a unique burial with cartonnage head-
piece unusually large, having a wreath of loose leaves
of gilt canvas and green berries between them, in the
hands a red wreath and a candle. The rhombic
bandage was in five layers with gilt buttons, and two
rows of buttons on the chest. The foot-case was
gilt. (Cambridge.) G had a usual gilt head-piece
with scenes of the gods on it, and a rhombic bandage.
Another group was of three wedge-faced mummies,
type xiii, 4, bandaged to a sharp straight edge down
the face; heads, two to south, one north. Beneath
these were two others, heads north, and a gilt bust
mummy holding a candle, with rhombic bandages
five layers deep, buttons, and a gilt foot-case with four
captives on soles. All the lower with heads to north.
In another pit similarly there were two gilt-faced
mummies, of fine work, one having a painted cloth
with figures over the body. With these were two
wedge-faced mummies with rhombic bandages in six
layers.
8. We turn now to the group of mummies found
with the portraits, xxiii, 2 ; Nos. 2, 3, 4 were with
one fine gilt mummy, head N., and one plain, head S.
xxiii, 3 ; Nos. 5, 6, were with three gilt heads all N.,
and two wedge-faces N. and S. xxiii, 5 ; Nos. 14 to
17 (all decayed) were with a gilt face, head W., and
a wedge-face, W. No. 24 was with a gilt face, head
W. No. 36 was with a gilt face. No. 46 was with
two gilt faces, heads N. and S.
xxiii, 4 ; wedge-faces were found with Nos. 7, 8,
9, a wedge-face, head S., and a plain wrapped mummy
head S. No. 10 had two wedge-faces. Nos. 12, 13
were with four wedge-faces, all heads to W. No. 27
had a wedge-face, head E. No. 28 was with one, head
W. Nos. 49, 50 were with a wedge-face, head E.
In a few cases only plainly-wrapped mummies
were with the portraits. No. 1 had immediately over
it a plainly-wrapped body of a woman, head to E.,
of which not a single joint remained articulated, and
most of the bones were out of place ; this must have
been wrapped up as bare bones, even the pelvis and
vertebrae being all dissevered. There were three
inches of sand between the bodies, which shows that
they were buried separately. No. 30 had a plain
mummy with it, head S. ; No. 38 likewise; and
No. 52 had a plain mummy with head W.
These associated plain mummies had their heads
to
N., 6 ; E, 3 ; S., 6 ; W., 4
while the portrait mummies with them lay
N., 6; E., 3; S., 10; W., 10
The conclusion seems to be that the men who
buried them thought more of laying the portrait
mummies to S. or W. than the plain mummies, which
might lie any way.
9. We now corne to the general question of the
direction of burial of the portrait mummies. On first
examining the matter, there seemed to be an im-
probable result that men and women were buried
usually in different directions. On further taking the
style of the portraits into account, the explanation of
this appeared to be due to a difference in period.
As it is generally agreed that these portraits belong
to the Roman age, and that that was a time of
continuous decline in art, it follows that—apart from
individual variations—the finer portraits will be
earlier than the poorer. No doubt different artists
varied greatly, and there might be some poor ones
early and superior ones later, just as there was a fine
engraver at the Alexandria mint even in the reign of
Gallienus ; but, on the average of all, the better
portraits were the earlier. I therefore classed the
portraits as good (22), medium (11), and poor (12).
On dividing these according to the direction of the
head there was no great difference of good or poor
except in the south.
Men.
N. E. S. W.
Good . .3 — 46
Medium . . — — 21
Poor . .21 — 5
The result is much the same with men and
women, and in all directions except south. Putting
then the other three directions together, we find
Women.
N.
E. S.
W.
2
2 4
I
I
2 5
—
2
I —
I
Head to south.
Otherwise
Good .
. 8
IS
Medium
• 7
4
Poor .
—
12
remove whole ; the footcase is shown in pi. xi, 7,
evidently a cast from the feet of a living girl,
coloured pinkish yellow with black sandal straps.
Large gilt twisted anklets with lions' heads are on
the ankles; and the rhombic bandaging of four
layers had very large gilt buttons in the hollows,
with others across the chest, and ten rows on the
ankles as seen in the photograph. (Univ. Coll.
Lond.) The head cartonnage was knocked to
pieces and decayed. E had a gilt head-piece but
no foot-case ; rhombic bandage of four layers, but no
buttons. The layer of bandage under the top was
green. F was a unique burial with cartonnage head-
piece unusually large, having a wreath of loose leaves
of gilt canvas and green berries between them, in the
hands a red wreath and a candle. The rhombic
bandage was in five layers with gilt buttons, and two
rows of buttons on the chest. The foot-case was
gilt. (Cambridge.) G had a usual gilt head-piece
with scenes of the gods on it, and a rhombic bandage.
Another group was of three wedge-faced mummies,
type xiii, 4, bandaged to a sharp straight edge down
the face; heads, two to south, one north. Beneath
these were two others, heads north, and a gilt bust
mummy holding a candle, with rhombic bandages
five layers deep, buttons, and a gilt foot-case with four
captives on soles. All the lower with heads to north.
In another pit similarly there were two gilt-faced
mummies, of fine work, one having a painted cloth
with figures over the body. With these were two
wedge-faced mummies with rhombic bandages in six
layers.
8. We turn now to the group of mummies found
with the portraits, xxiii, 2 ; Nos. 2, 3, 4 were with
one fine gilt mummy, head N., and one plain, head S.
xxiii, 3 ; Nos. 5, 6, were with three gilt heads all N.,
and two wedge-faces N. and S. xxiii, 5 ; Nos. 14 to
17 (all decayed) were with a gilt face, head W., and
a wedge-face, W. No. 24 was with a gilt face, head
W. No. 36 was with a gilt face. No. 46 was with
two gilt faces, heads N. and S.
xxiii, 4 ; wedge-faces were found with Nos. 7, 8,
9, a wedge-face, head S., and a plain wrapped mummy
head S. No. 10 had two wedge-faces. Nos. 12, 13
were with four wedge-faces, all heads to W. No. 27
had a wedge-face, head E. No. 28 was with one, head
W. Nos. 49, 50 were with a wedge-face, head E.
In a few cases only plainly-wrapped mummies
were with the portraits. No. 1 had immediately over
it a plainly-wrapped body of a woman, head to E.,
of which not a single joint remained articulated, and
most of the bones were out of place ; this must have
been wrapped up as bare bones, even the pelvis and
vertebrae being all dissevered. There were three
inches of sand between the bodies, which shows that
they were buried separately. No. 30 had a plain
mummy with it, head S. ; No. 38 likewise; and
No. 52 had a plain mummy with head W.
These associated plain mummies had their heads
to
N., 6 ; E, 3 ; S., 6 ; W., 4
while the portrait mummies with them lay
N., 6; E., 3; S., 10; W., 10
The conclusion seems to be that the men who
buried them thought more of laying the portrait
mummies to S. or W. than the plain mummies, which
might lie any way.
9. We now corne to the general question of the
direction of burial of the portrait mummies. On first
examining the matter, there seemed to be an im-
probable result that men and women were buried
usually in different directions. On further taking the
style of the portraits into account, the explanation of
this appeared to be due to a difference in period.
As it is generally agreed that these portraits belong
to the Roman age, and that that was a time of
continuous decline in art, it follows that—apart from
individual variations—the finer portraits will be
earlier than the poorer. No doubt different artists
varied greatly, and there might be some poor ones
early and superior ones later, just as there was a fine
engraver at the Alexandria mint even in the reign of
Gallienus ; but, on the average of all, the better
portraits were the earlier. I therefore classed the
portraits as good (22), medium (11), and poor (12).
On dividing these according to the direction of the
head there was no great difference of good or poor
except in the south.
Men.
N. E. S. W.
Good . .3 — 46
Medium . . — — 21
Poor . .21 — 5
The result is much the same with men and
women, and in all directions except south. Putting
then the other three directions together, we find
Women.
N.
E. S.
W.
2
2 4
I
I
2 5
—
2
I —
I
Head to south.
Otherwise
Good .
. 8
IS
Medium
• 7
4
Poor .
—
12