Study of Plant Remains from the Embalming Cache KV63 at Luxor, Egypt

Abstract

Plant remains from tomb KV63 dating to the XVIIIth dynasty of ancient Egypt (c. 16th–13th BC) have been analyzed using morphological characters. A total of 17 species were identified, and among these ten were used in the production of floral collars, including leaves of pomegranate (Punica granatum), olive (Olea europaea) and willow (Salix subserrata); flowers of low cornflower (Centaurea depressa), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea); fruits of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), and papyrus (Cyperus papyrus). Linen strings (Linum usitatissimum) were used for binding together the various components of the collars. Additional plant fragments identified included barley chaff (Hordeum vulgare), pine (Pinus sp.), juniper (Juniperus sp.) and edible fruits of persea (Mimusops laurifolia), doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica), Christ’s thorn ( Ziziphus spina-christi), grape ( Vitis vinifera ), olive (Olea europaea) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera). The leaves of the latter two trees were observed to be present in all recovered collars. There is a great similarity between the species used in making the collar of the third coffin of Tutankhamun (buried in KV62) and those found in KV63 as well as KV54, which represents an embalming cache associated with KV62. A gilded collar (E4) and many safflower heads were recorded for the first time in KV63. The large number and variety of collars and associated plant remains found in the tomb supports the theory that KV63 was used as an embalming cache.