1. Recent MEA excavation at Tell Tebilla 2014
PhD. Zeinab S.Hashesh
Ministry of Antiquities (Egypt)
Zeinab.Hashesh@gmail.com
Abstract :
Recent Excavation at Tell Tebilla located in the East Delta, south of Dikirnis , 12 km. north of Mendes.The Egyptian Archaeologists Team have
discovered on the north east of Tell Tebilla a rectangular Mud brick Mastaba that have been divided to three rooms every room contains Mummy in
bad preservation as well as other skeletal remains in the top of Mastaba .The Egyptian Team have been discovered four complete Mummies in situ
and Human remains for another six discovered individuals have been discovered during the same excavation season. two phase has been
discovered ,This poster focuses also on the osteological analysis undertaken Egyptian Team for first time to assessment the age , sex and some
pathologies which give us plenty of information about the health , diet and life style there. And solve problem about identity of these individuals .
Introduction:
The site has been focus of salvage excavations
by EMA since 1999 -2003, as it is under threat
from rising ground water levels, local
construction and encroaching agriculture. 2014
field season, focused on a large mud-brick
Mastaba tomb in the north western of the Tell
Tebilla. The Mastaba was divided into three
chambers, all of which contained mummies and
disarticulated human remains. The Mastaba
itself can be stylistically dated to the Late
Period (664-332 BCE); however, artifacts found
with the mummies, as well as the
mummification techniques employed, date the
remains to the early Ptolemaic period (c. 332-
250 BCE), suggesting that the Mastaba was
reused at this later date. The interior walls of
the Mastaba, built of limestone, but the inferior
built of Mud brick, also appear to be a
Ptolemaic period addition to the tomb.
Objectives&Samples :
The sample was 10 Individuals revealed two
distinct phases of mortuary use, with at least
ten individuals represented in the skeletal
material. The latest phase (1) consisted of
interments of seven individuals (N1,2,3,4,8,9
and10) on top of the Mastaba , six mummies
"N2,3,4,8,9,10 " were without coffins and only
one mummy "N1" was inside limestone
sarcophagus and dated from early Ptolemaic
period.
The mummies hands were crossed each
other on the chest ,wrapped with linen and
resin. The surface layer of linen was painted
by yellow color. long bone wrapped separate
by using Linen dipped in resin then fill
between the legs
Mummification process
The embalmers in Tell Tebilla
Mummies first remove . the moist
parts of body which would rot. -
The brain was not removed in N1
but the other Mummies N5,N6,N7
most of skulls were destroyed but I
didn’t find any soft tissue inside
the fragmentary skulls and noticed
quantities of resin inside skull.
The internal organs were removed
through a cut in the left side of the
body according to two evidence,
first finger amulet was in the left
side in abdomen. Second The
lungs, liver, stomach and
intestines were mummified
separately and placed in the
abdomen again. no canopic jars
used . Used also big scarab upon
the heart .
A verity of Protective amulets
(necklaces) were placed on the body
like the scarab amulet and
the wedjat eye amulet. And upon the
body there is trace that they used
bronze eye-piece, with white inlay for
the pupil and beads net over the
mummies
The embalmers then wrapped the body in linen
bandages put some gold sheet between linen
layer some of it have religion symbols such as
Vulture , Ib ,WsX,Anx and scarb
The mummified remains and were
also examined from the perspective
of palaeopathology. teeth diseases
like Enamel Hypoplasia ,Calculus
Mummy N5 , trauma Distal ulna
N6,infection diseases N5 and DJD in
mummy N7 , also record Muscle
attachment N5 to figure out the
daily activities for these individuals
. In general, the bones were
unhealthy. most of them have
suffered during their life .
Pathologies :
1] Aufderheide, Arthur C (2011 ),The scientific
study of mummies.3] Mumford, Gregory (2004).
A Preliminary Reconstruction of the Temple and
Settlement at Tell Tibilla (East Delta). In Egypt,
Israel, and the Ancient Mediterranean World -
Studies in Honor of Donald B. Redford. G.N.
Knoppers and A. Hirsch, eds. Pp. 267-286.
Leiden Boston: Brill.5]Ikram ,Salima&Aidan
Dodson (1999) , The Mummy in Ancient Egypt:
Equipping the Dead for Eternity ,london
I’m particularly grateful to Director of Dakahlia
Inspectorate Mr Salem El Bokhdady and Field
Director Sayed Talhawy and Mohamed Abd
Elaziz, for their advice and help during the work
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
References
All the bodies had the same mummification
techniques , using resin between linen
layers ,extract the viscera, fill the pelvis and
abdomen with extensive quantities resin ,
natron salts and return back viscera rolled
with resin linen inside the abdomen again.