Since it was added to the Scottish collection in 1936, an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus has been valued at the Perth Museum. Thanks to the work of curators and forensic experts, the face of the woman mummified and buried inside this remarkable relic about 2,500 years ago has been reconstructed digitally.
Who Was This Kushite Woman?
The scientists working on the reconstruction think the black woman buried in the coffin was from the kingdom of Kush, among the biggest empires in the ancient world. The kingdom seized Upper Egypt, which comprised areas roughly equivalent to Sudan. Along with the coffin itself, this fantastic reproduction will be included in the following presentation at the museum, Waters Rising, set for November 8.
A forensic artist and craniofacial anthropologist remarked that the woman inside the coffin had a noticeably different craniofacial shape than conventional ancient Egyptian bones. “The skull form looks unlike any of the ancient Egyptians I have seen before,” he said. Kemetic skulls typically have longer faces, more prominent narrow noses, and narrow, long craniums.
How Is the Reconstruction Process Done?
“As you reconstruct the face, you have no control over its shape since the scientific method locks it to the skull,” the author said. I have no creative licence until the last stage, when the photo-realistic textures and colours are included.
The hieroglyphics covering the tomb show that the woman was known as “Ta-Kr-Hb,” sometimes known as “Takerheb.” Experts say she was a prominent priestess or princess who died in her thirties and suffered from extreme tooth rot. Thought to have lived from the 25th to 26th dynasty, roughly 760 to 525 BC, this amazing manacle is
“What we now know from Chris’s facial reconstruction is that the female is Kushite,” said the museum’s collections officer. She is from the kingdom of Kush, a Sudanese neighbour of Ancient Egypt. The Kushite kingdom invaded Egypt at this exact moment—2,500 years ago. You find an entire run of black Kushite pharaohs here.
What Unique Discoveries Were Made?
The clear contrasts between the tomb and its occupant were underlined: “The visage on the coffin is utterly different—a long face with a long narrow nose. I investigated the oddity of the sarcophagus not looking like its occupant. It was rather typical. On the lid’s inside, though, there’s a depiction of a woman with a darker complexion.
Here, the woman is shown as bald. “All the priestesses and priests would have shaved every hair off the body because they were embalming dead bodies,” they stated. That was hygienic as well as ceremonial. She most likely would have shaved her head as a princess, too, but she might have worn a ceremonial wig.”
Why Are Hidden Histories Important to Explore?
Emphasising the need to present different histories, “We’re highly interested in studying hidden histories and marginalised stories, looking at regions where museum collections do not reflect the perspectives and experiences of cultures today and in the past. Seeing a Sudanese face seems quite fascinating. These histories are right out in front of us.
What Journey Did the Sarcophagus Take?
Said to have been unearthed in the late 19th century, the coffin was sold from a museum in Cairo to an Alloa merchant and city authority. Its path probably started from Akhmim, a frequent Nile stop for visitors from the 19th century to Alloa about 1892, before it was turned over to Perth Museum.
Apart from the coffin, the museum’s collection includes the Stone of Destiny, sometimes known as the Stone of Scone, worn during the coronation of the United Kingdom’s kings and queens.
How Does Waters Rising Address Climate Change?
Examining the issue of climate change from a historical standpoint, Waters Rising emphasises the damage done to the coffin by the Nile floods. Seeing Ta-Kr-Hb’s face excites me since it helps guests realise that there is someone they can easily connect to as another human being.
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