Another object was an incense burner or lamp consisting of a plate and a cover (Fig. 44).134 These burners are well known from depictions in Old Kingdom tombs but are rarely found as original objects. In the tomb of Ita a set of tools was also found. Such tools are typical of Old Kingdom burials of the ruling class at the royal residence.135 Is it possible that Ita copied—at least in parts—an Old Kingdom burial?
44. Incense burner of Ita. From de Morgan 1903, fig. 107.
Who Was Ita?
Ita is possibly also known from a monument outside her tomb. In Qatna (Syria), fragments of a sphinx were found and dated by style to Amenemhat II or even slightly earlier. On this monument Ita is called “member of the elite, beloved king’s daughter of his body.”136 It remains an open question whether the princesses from the two monuments are one or two individuals. The Ita from Dahshur was most likely buried under Amenemhat III. This is about thirty years after the death of Amenemhat II, something that is certainly possible or even to be expected. As the daughter of the king, Ita was one generation younger than him and likely to have died one generation after him.137 The name Ita, however, is not uncommon in the Middle Kingdom,138 and the identification remains uncertain.
THE TOMB OF KHENMET
The burial139 of the king’s daughter Khenmet140 was found next to that of Ita and was arranged along the same lines (Fig. 45). In her small burial chamber there was a sarcophagus made of quartzite. In this outer container was placed a wooden coffin that was not inscribed on the exterior but had texts written on the inside. These inscriptions are almost identical to those found on the inside of Ita’s coffin. The innermost coffin was anthropoid, but it was heavily decayed when found. Again, de Morgan did not realize that the remains belonged to a coffin and described them as part of the mummy. The anthropoid coffin must have been similar to that of Ita’s. Following the description in de Morgan’s publication, the coffin was covered with a substance described as bitumen, and the head, or more likely just the wig, covered in blue and gold. The eyes were inlaid in silver.141 Under the head was placed a clay disk.
On Khenmet’s body were found several items of jewelry. They are described in the excavation report, and many of them are shown with photographic images. There are no drawings, however, of the exact find spots of these pieces. Furthermore, the reconstruction of single items is often highly problematic.
Around Khenmet’s neck was a broad collar with falcon head terminals. The heads were made of hollow gold. The eyes were inlaid, while the eyebrows and the mouth were made of lapis lazuli. The collar proper was composed of 103 pieces in the shape of ankh, djed, and was signs.142 These are made of gold foil and inlaid with different materials. The outer edge of the collar was most likely fringed with drop-shaped beads. Perhaps coming from a choker (see Fig. 49) are two smaller falcon terminals and an array of hieroglyphic signs, many of them connected with royalty, such as two vultures, each on a neb sign, two cobras on two neb signs, or two bees. Today they have been reconstructed as a narrower form of broad collar.143 However, the small size of the terminals might better fit a choker.
45. The tomb chamber of Khenmet. From de Morgan 1903, fig. 105.
On each arm Khenmet wore five bracelets. There were two clasps adorned with the sa sign from a pair of bracelets.144 Furthermore, de Morgan mentions a massive undecorated gold bracelet and another consisting of beads of various materials. On the left side of the anthropoid coffin, a mace and several staves were found, typical of this type of burial, but again not described in detail. Outside the sarcophagus, on the southern side, were found a gilded wooden dagger and a staff, neither well preserved.
This was not the only jewelry to be discovered in the tomb; other examples were found in the small chamber next to the sarcophagus chamber. Here, there must have been a box with another set of personal adornments,145 constituting one of the most remarkable sets of gold objects ever found in Egypt.
First of all are two crowns. One consists of a series of flowers each with four leaves. Each flower is connected via gold wires on which smaller flowers are attached.146 The flowers were made of gold with inlays of carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise (Fig. 46). The second crown is heavier and consists of a series of eight identical elements. In the middle are a rosette and two flowering rushes. Further rosettes connect these elements. On top of the rosette is again some kind of flowering rush, and there is a royal vulture. All pieces are made of gold and inlaid with carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise. On the front is a vulture made of gold leaf with inlaid eyes of obsidian. Attached to the back is a tree (Fig. 47).147 Both crowns are dominated by the colors gold, red, and blue.
46. First crown of Khenmet (diameter c. 18 cm). From de Morgan 1903, pl. IX.
47. Second crown of Khenmet (diameter c. 20.5 cm). Cairo CG 52860. From Vernier 1925, pl. XXII.
48. The “foreign” jewelry of Khenmet (medallion in the center c. 2.85 cm). From de Morgan 1903, pl. XII.
The most remarkable items in Khenmet’s jewelry box were gold pieces of unknown function but perhaps belonging to a necklace (Fig. 48). These pieces appear un-Egyptian in character and were most likely produced somewhere in the Aegean, perhaps specifically on Crete.148 With these pieces appears for the very first time in Egypt the gold-working technique of granulation, whereby small gold balls are attached to another gold surface. This technology was very common in antiquity but was forgotten in medieval times and only rediscovered in the twentieth century. It was developed in Mesopotamia and reached Egypt in the late Middle Kingdom. The technology was only rarely employed in the Middle Kingdom, being more common in the New Kingdom.149 The centerpiece of the group in Khenmet’s tomb is a round golden pendant with glass inlays depicting a cow.150 Perhaps attached to it were golden open-work rosettes fully covered with granulation.151 There are two smaller rosettes and two bigger ones. Two stars are not open-work. The same is true of a golden butterfly.152 All these pieces are covered with granulation. Other pieces in this set include several golden shells and several pieces resembling stylized flies. Finally, there are more than twenty small birds153 and golden chains already broken and repaired in ancient times.154 The birds in particular have close parallels with Minoan treasure found on the Greek island of Aigina, confirming the impression that this jewelry was not made in Egypt.155
Perhaps also of foreign workmanship are several ribbed beads that do not appear with any frequency in other Middle Kingdom burials but are found in the Near East and the Aegean, notably at Byblos and in the Aigina Treasure.156 Other pieces of jewelry from Khenmet’s burials include several motto clasps, similar to those found in the burial of Sathathoriunet (Fig. 49).157
49. Jewelry of Khenmet with choker at bottom. Cairo JE 31113–16 (cat. 107). Photo: Juergen Liepe.
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