In Ancient Egypt , life was touch-and-go . Without modern science or medication – or at least , few methods you ’d want to try out – people invariablyturned to magic for protectionagainst the dangers of the globe . And , according to a late find by archaeologist from the Czech Institute of Egyptology ( CIE ) at Charles University in Prague , so did the corpses .
The grave of Džehutiemhat , a royal scriber who lived in the twenty-sixth or 27th Dynasty of Egypt – that is , about 2,500 years ago – does n’t have a bunch depart for it in price of artifacts . It plausibly did once upon a metre , but it had been thoroughly loot by the 5thcentury CE , the researcher behind the discovery at Abusir burial situation , just south of Cairo , explained in atranslated statement .
What is noteworthy , however , is the medal . As ispar for the coursewhen it comes to the Ancient Egyptians , the walls and sarcophagus are covered with images of God and goddesses : there are depictions of the sun god Ra ’s journey through the sky across the ceiling ; paradigm of the goddesses Eset and Nebtheta adorn the sarcophagus rampart ; and Imentet , the goddess of the West , and Geb , god of the earth , are depict on the interior of the casket .
A view of the interior of the sarcophagus where Dzhehutiemhat’s mummy used to rest in the representation of the Goddess of the West.Petr Košárek, © Czech Institute of Egyptology FF UK
“ The Goddess of the West inside the sarcophagus represents the defender , guide and symbolical mother of the deceased , ” explicate Jiří Janák , who analyze and interprets spiritual and witching schoolbook as part of landing field inquiry .
The wall and sarcophagus are also covered in various hieroglyphic schoolbook , from hymns honoring the Lord’s Day to the so - call “ canopic sayings ” , to the many , many spells and ward designed to allow sure-enough Džehutiemhat an well-heeled transition into the hereafter and keep him protected after his death .
But what really set up this grave aside is what all these spell are protectionfrom : snake .
Roughly carved image of the sun god during his nocturnal pilgrimage.Petr Košárek, © Czech Institute of Egyptology FF UK
“ Such a firm emphasis on snake while was belike the consequence of a personal choice of the grave proprietor , ” CIE manager Miroslav Bárta toldLive Science . “ No similar display case with such exuberant attention to these spells is known . ”
While the care move over to protecting against snake bites was arguably a bit late for Džehutiemhat , it was n’t a superficial fear . Venomous snake bites were likelymore commonin Ancient Egypt than they are today , as the climate wasmore humid and fertile , allow snake metal money to flourish which today are confined to habitats further south .
Interestingly , snake were also a religious symbolic representation , capable of offering aegis to the at peace and his mummy , the researchers say .
North wall of Dzhehutiemhat’s burial chamber.Petr Košárek, © Czech Institute of Egyptology FF UK
“ The entrance to the nearby Menechinekon ’s burying chamber was protected by the guardians of the gates of the 144thchapter of theBook of the Dead , ” said Renata Landgráfová , director of the Czech Institute of Egyptology and an expert on the ancient Egyptian linguistic communication and school text . But , she explained , “ in the case of Džehutiemhat , Snake River from the Pyramid Texts play this role . ”
regrettably for Džehutiemhat , all those while against Hydra attacks could n’t help what seems to have been an uttermost case ofosteoporosisand wear down and tear to his spine from sitting around writing all day . He died at the age of just25 – vernal even back then – which direct the researcher to distrust that his ivory problems were genetical in descent .
“ [ It ] seems to be a part of his DNA setup , ” Bárta tell apart Live Science , “ because [ osteoporosis ] usually occurs in a late years . ”
If that ’s correct , it may offer a hint as to Džehutiemhat ’s place within the Abusir entombment site . Other inhabitants of nearby tomb have also been confirmed to have had the same disease – have in mind they may well have all been touch . Only Džehutiemhat ’s female parent stand out as being non - local : her name , the super coolheaded “ Nubian Fox ” , is written in an strange way , most likely Berber in origin .
disregardless of the fact that those tour should have warded against ghoul rather than snakes – whom you might fence are less of a danger after you ’re already stagnant , allow ’s front it – the discovery nevertheless tot to the team ’s spring up sympathy of ancient Egypt at the last of its glory days , Bárta say .
“ The shaft tombs represent a special type of grave of this period , ” he added . “ They were created as a specific attempt by the ancient Egyptian elites for a renaissance and are based on the image of the tomb of King Djoser , the beginner of the renowned Old Kingdom , the sentence of the pyramid builders in the 3rd millenary . [ BCE ] . ”
Excavation and analysis of the web site is on-going .
