Message #141140

[Josie Linde]

28 FEBRUARY 2009
A Special Report by Textile Specialist Elise van Rooij (Holland)
 


This season, in addition to examining our tenth pillow (from Jar #13) and a multitude of other textiles from KV-63, I came upon one item of particular interest to report on.


This object appears to be some kind of ‘rug or towel’ found inside Coffin A in 2006. Although this item exhibits significant decomposition enough is salvageable to recognize its original intent and form.

 

It is a ‘pile’ textile, whereby extra strands or loops of thread were woven into the cloth or attached afterwards to project or stick out, to create a pile effect that gave the textile absorbent and isolating qualities (similar to our modern bathroom floor rugs). Other examples of this type of textile were found in the tomb of Kha (laid over a bed) at Deir el Medina, in a eleventh dynasty tomb at Deir el Bahari and in the mass–burial of soldiers in the same area.

 

The actual size of the ‘rug’ is unknown but probably measured at least one square meter judging by the amount of decay and surviving material. A few photos of this remarkable ‘find’ have been made available, under ‘2009 ~ Photos’, courtesy of Elise van Rooij.

 
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Dr. Otto Schaden is scheduled to lecture at the Mummification Museum in Luxor on Saturday, March 14th at 7 P.M. The lecture will include some of the highlights of KV-63’s discoveries this year.
 

NHK Television (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) filmed KV-63 on February 10, 2009 and interviewed Dr. Otto Schaden and Professor Earl Ertman. The network is in the process of filming four separate two-hour television specials – Pyramids, KV-63, Queen Hatshepsut and Cleopatra. The programs are scheduled to air in Japan in September with possible broadcast in the USA by October.

 

On this similar note a new page entitled Media/Television has been added to the KV-63 website. Included in the upcoming broadcasts is a third installment on KV-63 by Atlantic Productions (affiliated in 2006 with Discovery Channel) slated to air later this year. Please check the KV-63 website for further details as dates become available.

 

Also, watch for the upcoming article entitled KV-63’s 2009 Season written by Roxanne Wilson in the June/July 2009 issue of Ancient Egypt, The History, People and Culture of the Nile Valley magazine (UK).

 
The team would also like to acknowledge some of our newly arrived staff members and consultants: Archie Chubb (photographer), Elise van Rooji (Textile Specialist), Maryann Marazzi (Photographer), Margot Wright (Conservator), Pieter Collet (Draftsman), and Sue Osgood (Artist).
 

Update by Roxanne Wilson


7 FEBRUARY 2009
The long awaited update featuring descriptions and images of some of our most recent ‘finds’ is finally here.  Many thanks for your patience, as we have been quite busy.



In January, as the conservation work began in earnest on the coffins, the KV-63 team also began opening some of the remaining storage jars.  Jar number 13 was the first to be examined and proved to contain some of the most interesting items…. including a wooden bed.  The bed had been broken into many pieces to fit inside the jar, but is now completely restored. The bed features the customary lion head decorations at the head end and the raised footboard on the other; its length is 170 cm.  There are no “feet” to speak of, so it may have been used simply to hold a coffin or mummy “off” the ground during the embalming process.  Some strange boards covered with linen and adorned with possible “feet” were also in Jar 13.  When these items are conserved, we will see if they have any possible connection with the bed as supports.
     
To add to the bedtime theme of the preceding paragraph, we also found an intact pillow (the 10th from KV-63).  Though pushed in at one end from the confined space of the storage jar, it appears to be quite intact and in excellent condition.