Egypt to restore 3,400-year-old sarcophagi of senior official and wife

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany witnessed the unpacking process of two ancient sarcophagi ahead of their restoration and display in a new museum.

A mask of Sennedjem's wife after it was removed from his coffin at the National Museum
of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo [Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]

The mummies in the two sarcophagi belong to a senior official of the New Kingdom of Egypt, and his wife, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The sarcophagi belong to Sennedjem, who served as the overseer of the workers at Deir al-Medina necropolis in Luxor during the reigns of Seti I and Ramsesses II of the 19th Dynasty, some 3,400 years ago, he said.

Sennedjem was an overseer of work at the Deir al-Medina necropolis in Luxor during the reigns
of Seti I and Ramesses II of the 19th dynasty [Credit: Egypt. Ministry of Antiquities]

Both mummies will be part of a new exhibition in December [Credit: EPA]

The restoration process will take months [Credit: EPA]

Sennedjem was nickname of the servant of the Palace of Truth, Ahmad al-Sherbini, general supervisor of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), told Xinhua.

The two mummies have been placed inside colored wood-made sarcophagi, said Sherbini.

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany (C) and archaeologists look at the pharaonic mummy of Sennedjem
prior to its removal from the coffin at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo
[Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]

Archaeologists prepare to remove the mummy of Sennedjem from its coffin for fumigation at the National Museum of
Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in the capital Cairo's Old Cairo district [Credit: Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP]

The mummy of Sennedjem lying inside its coffin before fumigation at the National Museum
of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo [Credit: Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP]

He highlighted the bodies are perfectly preserved in best conditions and its mummification process resembled that of the royal kings.

After removing the covers of the two sarcophagi, the mummies will be transferred to the restoration lab to be placed in a sterilization capsule for more than twenty days, Sherbini explained.

Archaeologists prepare the mummy of Sennedjem, for fumigation at the National Museum
of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo [Credit: Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP]

Archaeologists prepare the mummy of Sennedjem for fumigation at the National Museum
of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo [Credit: Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP]

Journalists gather around the mummy of Sennedjem after being removed from its coffin for fumigation
at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo
[Credit: Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP]

The  mummy of Sennedjem is seen after being removed from his coffin at the National Museum
of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo [Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]

"The fumigation process is similar to a sophisticated surgery conducted by very skillful restorers," Anany said.

The mummies will also undergo a process of cleaning it from any insects for at least one month, Anany added.

Egypt's Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani (2nd-L) directs archaeologists as they prepare the mummy
of Sennedjem for fumigation at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo
[Credit: Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP]

The pharaonic mummy of Sennedjem inside the fumigation tent lab at the National Museum
of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo [Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]

Sennedjem's bodies were found along with other 20 mummies in a tomb discovered in 1886 on the west bank of the Nile by a French Egyptologist Maspero.

The two sarcophagi came from Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the NMEC, partially opened in February, 2017.

The official opening of the NMEC is scheduled in the beginning of December after inaugurating the mummies hall that will include seventeen royal mummies, Sherbini added.

Located in the ancient city of Fustat in Cairo, the museum will display a collection of 50,000 artefacts, presenting Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day, Sherbini added.

The new museum, overlooking Ain el-Sirah lake, is composed of nine halls, he added.

Sherbini added the NMEC, the second largest museum in Egypt built on 23,235 square meters, will be also an integrated cultural center.

Source: Xinhua News Agency [September 27, 2019]