A unique, full-length mummy shroud, dating back over 2,000 years old, has been discovered in a museum collection.
The shroud, which dates to approximately 9 BC, was uncovered in a brown paper parcel by curators looking through the National Museum of Scotland’s ancient Egyptian collections.
The incredible artifact will finally go on display for the public at ‘The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial’ exhibition in Edinburgh, opening on March 31st.
The 2,000-year-old shroud was found in the National Museum of Scotland’s ancient Egyptian collections. It will go on display for the first time at ‘The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial’ exhibition, opening on March 31st.
The shroud was discovered in brown paper, along with an 80-year-old note from a previous curator.
A hieroglyphic inscription on the shroud revealed the identity of the owner to be the son of the Roman-era high-official Montsuef and his wife Tanut.
Due to the fragility of the ancient textile, conservators gently humidified it so that the fibers would become less dry and brittle as they removed it from its own parcel.
This allowed them to carefully unfold the shroud – a process that took almost 24 hours.
Dr. Margaret Maitland, Senior Curator of Ancient Mediterranean collections who found the package said: ‘To discover an object of this importance in our collections, and in such good condition, is a curator’s dream.
‘Before we were able to unfold the textile, tantalizing glimpses of colourful painted details suggested that it might be a mummy shroud, but none of us could have imagined the remarkable figure that would greet us when we were finally able to unroll it.
A hieroglyphic inscription on the shroud revealed the identity of the owner to be the overseer to the provincial high-official Montsuem and his wife Tanut.
The full-length, painted linen shroud is unique, with every few parallels from its period. It was made in approximately 9 BC and had been stored in storage since the 1940s.
‘The shroud is a very rare object in superb condition and is exceptional in a highly unusual artistic style, suggestive of Roman period Egyptian art, yet still very distinctive.’
In ancient Egypt, following mummification, a shroud was commonly wrapped around the body before it was placed in a coffin.
In Roman-era Egypt, shrouds became increasingly important as the use of coffins became rarer.
Due to the fragility of the ancient textile, conservators gently humidified it so that the fibers would become less dry and brittle as they removed it from its protective parcel.
The shroud comes from a burial in a royal burial ground dating back to 1290 BC, located around the great citadel of Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It depicts the deceased as the god Osiris.
This full-length, painted linen shroud is unique, with intricate details portrayed in every part. It represents the deceased individual in the role of the god Osiris.
Due to its owner’s direct relationship to Montuhotep II and Thutmose, whose deaths were recorded to have occurred in 9 BC, it is possible to date the shroud relatively precisely. This offers valuable insights into an ancient aristocratic family.
The shroud comes from a burial in a royal burial ground dating back to 1290 BC, located around the great citadel of Thebes (modern-day Luxor).
In Greco-Roman Egypt, shrouds became increasingly important as the use of coffins became more prevalent. The practice of wrapping the deceased in a shroud has been documented since the mid-1940
Because of its owner’s direct relationship to Montuhotep and Thutmose, whose deaths were recorded to have occurred in 9 BC, it is possible to date the shroud relatively accurately, providing valuable insights into such an ancient archaeological artifact.
First quilt for a chief of police and his wife, it was looted and reused several times before being singled out in the early 1st century AD.
It remained undiscovered until its excavation in the 19th century, when a collection of beautiful objects from various eras was unearthed.
The shroud is one of a number of objects from this period that are in the National Museums Scotland’s collections.
The exhibition will tell the story of this era spanning 1,000 years of use.