All photos by Brenna Reistad
Braided Human Hair
Hair Extensions
1994 - 1781 BC
Both men and women commonly shaved their heads and wore wigs, and, with hair extensions, they could vary the style of the wig or their own hair. In the tomb, they stored hair in a basket or box.
Canopic Jars
945 - 712 BC
Containers like these held the deceased's lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines. The lids represent the four sons of Horus - Hapi (baboon), Duamutef (jackal), Imseti (human), and Qebehsenuef (falcon) - who stood guard over the organs.
Decorated Shabtis
Small human figures placed in a tomb representing a person who would perform a task (such as farming) for the deceased person in the afterlife.
Shabtis could be made from faience, wood, clay and even wax.
Bead Network Shroud
1075 - 332 BC
New Years Flask
c. 600 BC
Filled with Nile water, flasks like this were traditional New Year's gifts in July when the river's floods began. For a people who saw death as a phase leading to new life, nature offered many powerful examples of rebirth - one of them the cycle of the seasons.
Anubis Art
Anubis preparing the dead.
Ceiling Fragment
Paddle Doll
1994 - 1781 BC
Ceremonial Flail
c 1400 BC or later
Paired with a crook, the flail symbolized royal authority and identified the deceased with Osiris, divine king of the dead.
Natron Packet
Date Unknown
Natron, a naturally occurring salt minded west of the Nile,
absorbs water and dissolves body fats, an ideal combination for mummification.
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