Linen marks from the wrappings of Henhenet's mummy

Linen marks from the wrappings of Henhenet's mummy


Period: Middle Kingdom

Dynasty: Dynasty 11

Reign: reign of Mentuhotep II

Date: ca. 2051–2030 B.C.

Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri, Temple of Mentuhotep II, Pit 11 (Henhenet), Egypt Exploration Fund excavations, 1906–07

Medium: Linen

Dimensions: h. 9 x w. 12 cm (3 9/16 x 4 3/4 in.)

Credit Line: Gift of Egypt Exploration Fund, 1907

Accession Number: 07.230.1c.2

Linen marks are usually short inscriptions written in ink on the corners of large sheets of linen. Some mention the names and titles of high officials to whose estate the linen may have belonged or who may have been overseeing its acquisition or production. Other marks say nfr (good), which probably refers to the quality of the fabric. Occasionally, the name of the ruling king and a date are also written.

This linen mark is one of five from the wrappings of Henhenet's mummy (see 07.230.1c*). One of six high-ranking royal females buried in shaft tombs under the platform of the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, Henhenet would have been provided with linen of the finest quality. Her mummy was unwrapped in 1923, and only these marks preserved from the bandages. The mummy itself was sent to Qasr el-Aini Hospital in Cairo, where it was examined by Dr. Douglas Derry. Dr. Derry concluded that the queen had died in childbirth when she was in her early 20s.
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