Saturday, October 29, 2005

Mysterious Mummy lies in Geology Hall

A site which requires you to register before you can view its content. For some reason I was able to get through to the page concerned without registering, but only on the first occasion I tried. Anyway, here's the gist of it. A female mummy whose name was Isit Ha, about whom very little is known, is now located in the Rutgers Geology Hall of the Old Queens Campus in New Jersey, having been transferred from New Brunswick Theological Seminary. It was taken to New Jersey by a missionary who brought it back from Egypt The mummy dates to c.320/33BC, and her age at time of death has been estimated at around 17 years of age. Both the mummy and the coffin are on display together with four stone artefacts which resemble canopic jars but are in fact completely solid, and not containers. "Images on the lid include her own burial ceremony, jewelry she wore and an image of the winged goddess Nut". There is a photo accompanying the piece on the site, showing the gold decoration on the top part of mummy's coffin and the top half of the mummy itself.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Having been to Egypt, and I realize that their artifacts are in abundance, I still say-- send everything back! (The thought that the few artifacts that are "missing" won't be missed -- dishonors the dead righful owners!) For ions, visitors to Misr have taken home (purchased or pillaged) artifacts. Governments have accepted "gifts", tokens from the
Egyptian government of these artifacts. I firmly believe they should be back in Egypt where they belong as well as other artifacts acquired in other countries. Let
them honor us with "loans" such as the Tut exhibit which will soon be visiting America. All of this can be equated to "grave robbing", as their original owners surely never had it in mind for them to be taken out of their tombs, taken from their homeland, no less put permanently on display in a far-off land. Put all of the "booty" back where it belongs!!!!!!!!!
I can honestly say, when I was in Egypt, not once did I even touch the walls, the hieroglyps on the temples, etc., as I could appreciate the oils from my hands, the contaminants could ruin these wonderful works of the ancients, and my not touching these would allow future generations to be able to see them. I wish others would have the same respect!

Anonymous said...

ADDENDUM:
I was in academia for 26 years, so I can appreciate the academics wanting to keep this mummy!
I believe this is a moral issue.