A beautiful, 2,500-year-old woman made her way into the objects conservation lab this week. Meretities was the daughter of a high-level priest in the fourth or fifth century B.C. She wears an elaborately decorated robe and an expression of serenity.
Meretities will remain in the conservation lab for awhile. Museum conservators will do a complete technical analysis to determine her exact condition and what might need to be done to ensure she will last for many more years. They will also study the rare pigments that were used to decorate her.
The coffin is part of a recent Museum acquisition that includes a gilded mask, statuettes of goddesses and 306 tomb figures.
The conservation lab will not be Meretites' final resting place. She will be installed in specially designed galleries in the ancient collection in 2010. You may read more about her in today's issue of the Kansas City Star.
Comments (2)
I can't wait to see it.
I am interested to know about the "dung beetle" that the KC article said was on her head. I had heard that the "beetle" was actually a scarab. Can you tell me what the difference or significance is between the two in their culture?
Posted by Doug | December 19, 2007 1:33 PM
Posted on December 19, 2007 13:33
Dear "Doug,"
I will forward your question on to the curator of ancient art.
However, according to Wikipedia, the dung beetle is part of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. Perhaps "scarab" is a familiar term that means the same thing as dung beetle.
Posted by Jodi | December 20, 2007 5:13 PM
Posted on December 20, 2007 17:13