Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-07-08
ANCIENT KINGS AND THIEVES.
Mummies MutiIated by Robbers in
Quest of Jewels Centuries Ago.

G.. Elliot Smith describes in the De-
cember Bulletin of the Egyptian In
stitute what he discovered when he
unwrapped in the Cairo museum the
mummies of five of the Pharoahs that
were found at Bah ell MOlouk in 1898.
These kings were among those who
reigned in Egypt from about 1000 to
1900 wears before the Christian era. AT
a period believed to be not more than
a century after the death of the lat
est of these royal persons their elab-
crate tombs were broken into for the
purpose of despoiling the mummies ot
the precious stones and jewels IN the
form of amulets. charms and other OBJ
jects that had been buried with them.
The work of unwrapping the royal
mumnies of Egypt is always Slow
and careful process. Every stage or
it is carefully described. Photographs
are taken at every change in the
process, as tor example when different
kinds of cloth or different widths of
bandages are used.
The detailed report on these five
mummies has not yet been printed,
and Mr.. Smith confines himself to his
notes of the mutilation and plunder of
the royal dead. About three days
were given to the unwrapping of each
of the mummies.
The kings were Siptah, who was re-
lated to the Rameses family by mar
riage; Scnti H., who restored the
throne to the direct line of Rameses,
but whose reign closed in anarchy be-
cause several pretenderS to the throne
waged civil war, and RameSeS ~, ".
and VI.
1t would have been no easy matter
for the plunderers to take off the
wrappings and secure the jewels If
they had treated the mummies with
care, but they were after the valuables
and stopped at no mutilatior that
would help to get them quickly.
Parts of the fine linen bandageS
plastered together with resinous paste,
were hacked off so brutally that bones
of the mummies were broken. pieces Of
skin were cut out; arms. hands and
ears were cut off, and teeth were
knocked out. Fragments of the origi-
nal wrappings remained glued to the
mumlnes but it was evident that
there was no jewel underneath that
would add 10 the stolen riches.
Ine NaSI UdnldSeu VI dil tle iiuili-
mics was that of Rameses V, which
was completely stripped of all its
wrappings. but the only mutilation
was the slicing off of the finger tips of
the left hand by some sharp instru-
ment.
None of the other mummies was so
badly maltreated as the body of Ram
eses VI, whose head and trunk We're
literally hacked to pieces. Jewels
around the neck had evidently sup
piled the motive for cutting off the
head. One of the forearms and the
hand we're not with the mummy, but
curiously enough, they had been re-
placed by those of another body, evil
| IDENTIFY of a woman.
Mr.. Smith discovered abundant
evidence that at later period. during
the reign of the priest kings, these
outrages came to light and a very hur-
| ried effort was made to rewrap the
bodies The fragments Of the old
| bandages were put around them. and
| were then covered with new bandages,
| but the rewrapping was so careIessly
done as to indicate great haste. When
the body of Rameses vi was re-
| wrapped it was necessary to obtain a
| board on which to tie the fragments
| to give them some semblance of the
| form Of a mummy.