Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-06-05

4
sent the funeral PROFESSIONS and cere-
monies, performed in honor OF the de
| ceased person. The meaning OF the
common characters is unknown; but
the learned may possibly hereafter
make ont from them an account Of her
quality, actions, the period of her exis'
tence. aud death. All the figures are
painted with water colors on ground
of white plaster, Of a close texture,
which is spread over frm linen cloth
enveloping the sarcophagus. and made
to adhere to it closely by cement OF
| gum. Proceeding to open this sarco.
phagus at the sides, it was found to be
com posed of two pieces Of wood dug
out Of solid sticks they are about two
inches in thickness, and are connected
Iaterally by projecting pieces from the
one received into correspond ng cavi'
ties of the other. The wood is syca.
| more, in fine preservation, excepting
| where the plaster had been destroyed,
| and here the decomposition appears to
| have proceeded to small extent only.
The interior, being exposed, exhibited
paintings on white ground, not SO nu-
merous, but more remarkable than
those ON the outside The principal Of
these placed at the back or bottom, as
we should call it, on the inside is full
length human figure, with the hawks
head, covered with green net work,
similar to the net Of heads found on
the Mummy; holding staff with the
head of the Hoop, bird of passage, to
represent the mutabllity of human af-
fairs, and surrounded by curved line
beginning and ending in globe, meant
probably as another emblem Of eternl-
| ty. This figure with its emblems is
undoubtedly representation of Osiris
the principal divinity of the Egytians.
On the sides near the former figure,
cores bonding in situation and size
with the last, are two female figures,
intended to represent the deceased per-
SOD, or tho Goddess Isis, or, as was
sometimes the custom of,he Egyptians,
| to identify. in these paintings, the de.
ceased with Isis, if a female, and with
Osiris, ifa male.
This sarcophagus was found to con.
tain a sec ond, which in most respects
resembled it. In form, they are both
alike exactly fitted to enclose human
body. The carved head, the hierogly-
phics and characters, the coverings of
plaster and Of cloth, have general re-
semblabce but instead Of the winged
globe, there is winged divinity at the
upper and lower parts, intended proba-
oily for Isis the characters are not SO
numerous; the back part is figured al.
though in different style from the
front, and the whole are more fresh
and finely preserved than the figures
on the outer sarcoPhasus.
The second case being opened at the
sides, IN the same manner as the first.
exposed the Mummy, Il is a body a
oout five feet long, heavy, and solid to
the touch. n single cloth Of a yellow.
ish color enveloped it from head to foot,
being confined closely to the body by
three or four narrow strips of white
band, under which lay the reliques Of
corresponding black or dark bands, 30
much decayed as to crumble to atoms
on being touched. a, it's feet lay a
large collection Of beads, composed of
green and yelluw porcelain connected
by threads, which had in a great mea-
sure decayed, and thus allowed the net
work to ia Il In pieces. Such an orna.
ment is seen covering the figures of j.
sis and Osiris, and was no doubt
stretched over the vestments of the bo-
dy. In order to preserve the beads,
they have been newly strung and pla-
ced in their former situation on the
fore part of the mummy. cut open
the outer cloth where it covered the
face, and found within it great many
layers of white linen bandage, closely
ard artiic ally rolled round the face.
The outer turns are strong and we'll
preserved; the inner are more rotten
in proportion as they are nearer the
body; tho innermost quite decayed
and closely cemented to the skin by
the embalning substance. With some
difficulty and labor these fragments
were separated from the skin. This is
of very dark color, hard and brittle,
and in some places wrinkled as fit had
been subjected to the action of great
heat, from the embalming substance
poured on in a very hot state, or more
probably from it's having been INNER
sed in large vessel containing this
substance in an almost boiling tempera-
ture in consequence Of this, the fea.
lures are altered, distorted, and black.