Visualization, Documentation and Non-Destructive Investigation of an Ancient Egyptian Corn Mummy in a Falcon-shaped Wooden Coffin

Ahmed Tarek,Ibrahim Ali,Mohamed Abdelrahman

doi:10.21608/arcs.2021.49811.1011

Abstract

Corn mummies’ were funerary objects in ancient Egypt that were served as sacred images of the god Osiris during the Khoiak feast. They are grain-filled linen sacs, usually filled with an emmer or barley specimen, the ingredients for staple food in ancient Egypt (bread and beer). In the fertility cult of Osiris, the function of Corn mummies was presumably for continuous prosperity of the land and healthy crop growth. This paper focuses on the use of nondestructive methods for the documentation and visual examination of a Corn mummy coffin (No. 1242) dating back to the late period; but its original inscriptions are partially lost. Digital imaging and Reflectance Transformation imaging (RTI) were used to document all surface aspects. D-stretch was used to enhance surface details that were not clearly visible by digital imaging and RTI. Infrared imaging was used to reveal the details of hieroglyphic inscriptions and outline drawings on the wooden coffin. X-ray radiography was used to non-destructively verify the inside contents of the wrapped mummy inside the wooden coffin, and whether it includes any human remains or not. The methods provided a comprehensive documentation and examination of the various parts of the artifact.

Highlights

Corn mummies, which can be dated earlier than the mid-seventh century BC, are extremely rare
The Corn mummy inside a wooden outer coffin, which is currently at The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), was neither documented nor examined before, and this study aims to document and non-destructively examine the wooden coffin and the Corn mummy
Digital images created through this study will be a valuable addition to the digital records of the artifacts within the museum collections database as it will serve as a visual documentation record for the artifact with all its details

Summary

Introduction

Corn mummies, which can be dated earlier than the mid-seventh century BC, are extremely rare. Osirian funerary wooden coffins, according to Aston, appear to have been a common part of burial equipment of upper-class private individuals during the Third Intermediate Period [2, 3] These Corn mummies were manufactured to resemble a human body; in the form of a miniature Osiris which would ensure the following years’ crop prosperity. Corn mummies varied in size from 35–50 cm in length and were placed in falcon-headed coffins in cemeteries, while miniature varieties were encased within Ptah-Sokar-Osiris statues in Late Period burials [19, 20]. An example of these Corn mummies is in the Grand Egyptian Museum The identification is based on excavation reports, even though the exact circumstance of discovery is not always

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Conclusion