Me and my research
Margaret Maitland
I was doing an assessment of our collections for a new permanent Ancient Egypt gallery when I came across a bundle wrapped in brown parcel paper.
A label, written by a previous curator, said it contained textiles excavated in 1857 from a tomb that I had, coincidentally, also been researching for our current temporary exhibition.
Peeking inside, I could see painted details suggesting it might be a mummy shroud. Due to its fragility, our textile conservators set up a humidification chamber in the lab so the brittle fibres would become pliable enough to unfold. The process took almost 24 hours and it was astonishing to see the full-length figure revealed. The shroud underwent further treatment to remove the old paper backing and to enable it to be carefully mounted on a supporting board.
The inscription revealed that it belonged to a previously unknown member of the Roman-era Egyptian family who were buried in the tomb, so we were able to reunite Montsuef and Tanuat – who died in 9BC – with their long-lost son.
I also re-identified a number of objects from the tomb, ranging from jackal figurines to glass amulets. Reuniting this assemblage has given us a better picture of the tomb’s long history and changing burial practices.
Curators often make surprise discoveries while researching collections. When I was at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle, for example, I discovered some hieroglyphic correspondence with the help of decipherer Jean-François Champollion, and spotted that a relief fragment actually depicted an Assyrian king.
Margaret Maitland is the senior curator of ancient Mediterranean collections at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial runs at the National Museum of Scotland until 3 September
Margaret Maitland has been reuniting Ancient Egyptian mummy families
A label, written by a previous curator, said it contained textiles excavated in 1857 from a tomb that I had, coincidentally, also been researching for our current temporary exhibition.
Peeking inside, I could see painted details suggesting it might be a mummy shroud. Due to its fragility, our textile conservators set up a humidification chamber in the lab so the brittle fibres would become pliable enough to unfold. The process took almost 24 hours and it was astonishing to see the full-length figure revealed. The shroud underwent further treatment to remove the old paper backing and to enable it to be carefully mounted on a supporting board.
The inscription revealed that it belonged to a previously unknown member of the Roman-era Egyptian family who were buried in the tomb, so we were able to reunite Montsuef and Tanuat – who died in 9BC – with their long-lost son.
I also re-identified a number of objects from the tomb, ranging from jackal figurines to glass amulets. Reuniting this assemblage has given us a better picture of the tomb’s long history and changing burial practices.
Curators often make surprise discoveries while researching collections. When I was at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle, for example, I discovered some hieroglyphic correspondence with the help of decipherer Jean-François Champollion, and spotted that a relief fragment actually depicted an Assyrian king.
Margaret Maitland is the senior curator of ancient Mediterranean collections at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial runs at the National Museum of Scotland until 3 September
Margaret Maitland has been reuniting Ancient Egyptian mummy families