Many mummy covers and coffins like this example, belonging to a young woman named Tasheriankh were covered in gold and given blue headdresses, to increase their resemblance to the gods. The traditions around death and the afterlife – in particular, the role of mummification – are perhaps the most famous aspect of ‘ancient Egypt’ in popular culture, but Dr Campbell Price, the exhibition’s curator, suggests that it might be necessary to question some of the myths and preconceptions surrounding these customs.
This period is often overlooked by Egyptology enthusiasts in favour of Pharaonic Egypt, but, as the artefacts on show demonstrate, it was a fascinating time in the country’s history, with the multiculturalism of society reflected not just in the trappings of everyday life but also in the beliefs and practices surrounding death. The majority of these objects date to the Graeco-Roman period (300 BC-AD 300), when Egypt was ruled first by the Ptolemies – a dynasty of Macedonian descent, ending with Cleopatra VII in 31 BC – and then by a series of Roman emperors. The mummy mask’s facial features and hairstyle are reminiscent of Ptolemaic ideals, while other elements of the cartonnage feature traditional Pharaonic iconography, reflecting the multiculturalism present in burial traditions in Egypt at the time. This gilded mummy belonging to a woman called Isaious was discovered at Hawara in 1911.
