Beyond Time: The Unbelievable Discovery Of An Ancient Mummy Drenched In Gold.
This mummy portrays a woman with a gilded, golden face and a wig made of human hair, elegantly placed upon her head. Unfortunately, not much is known about this woman; only her head has been preserved. Unearthed in Egypt and bequeathed by (Major) Robert Grenville ‘John’ Gayer-Anderson, the head of the unidentified woman now finds […]
This mummy portrays a woman with a gilded, golden face and a wig made of human hair, elegantly placed upon her head. Unfortunately, not much is known about this woman; only her head has been preserved.
Unearthed in Egypt and bequeathed by (Major) Robert Grenville ‘John’ Gayer-Anderson, the head of the unidentified woman now finds its home at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Organic remains. Human mummy. A mummified female head with gilded skin, adorned with a wig (hair length 0.320 m). Production Place/Find Spot: Egypt. Depth 0.21 m, height 0.22 m, width 0.19 m. The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Golden Skin
The Ancient Egyptians had an infatuation with gold (Nebu) as it represented not just wealth and glory but divine spiritual purpose. Gold was associated with sun worship, deeply connected to the Sun God Ra. Beyond Ra and other solar deities, the Ancients believed that the deities across their vast pantheon had golden skin, making gold itself a heavenly divine metal—a natural source found and brought forth from the ground, akin to the creation myth itself.
This is the reason why, in death, many Egyptians were adorned with gold. In the Late Period, the faces of the deceased were even adorned with gold leaf to imitate the divine. Considering this could help us determine the era in which this Egyptian woman lived and died.
The abundance of gold in Egypt’s colonial regions such as Nubia meant that the kingdom’s wealth prospered. However, being mummified and adorned with gold could suggest that this woman had above-average wealth and perhaps a noble or important role in society. Perhaps she was the wife of a nobleman, a singer in the temples, or even a priestess. It remains unknowable.
Hair
The wig adorned upon her head is made of auburn, tousled hair, possibly even her own. Wigs were another sign of wealth and status in society.
Golden mummy. Organic remains. Human mummy. The female head, mummified, adorned with gilded skin and a wig (hair length 0.320 m). Production Place/Find Spot: Egypt. Depth 0.21 m, height 0.22 m, width 0.19 m. The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
In ancient Egypt, gold held significant symbolism in the process of mummification. Gold was associated with the sun god Ra, who was believed to have the power to grant eternal life. It represented the divine and was considered a symbol of immortality and the afterlife.
Gold was used to adorn the bodies of the deceased, particularly kings and other high-ranking individuals, as it was believed to protect and preserve their bodies in the journey to the afterlife. It was also used to create intricate burial masks and other funerary objects, showcasing the wealth and status of the deceased.