Jars containing the mummified organs of a wet nurse who lived in Egypt 3,500 years ago have revealed new details about ancient Egyptian trade routes – and hinted at a royal nurse's “exceptional status” within the family.
Analysis of the containers used to store internal organs has given insight into the era’s complex mummification balms, research published on Thursday in the online journal Scientific Reports showed.
The canopic jars contained the mummified remains of a woman called Senetnay, a wet nurse who nurtured and breastfed then-future king Pharaoh Amenhotep II in about 1450 BC.
The research revealed embalming ingredients thought to originate in more exotic locations than previously thought and suggested the wet nurse was an important member of the young royal’s entourage.
Senetnay’s remains were found in a tomb among pharaohs and nobles in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, discovered by famed British archaeologist Howard Carter about 120 years ago.
After her death, Senetnay’s mummified organs were embalmed and stored in four canopic jars with lids in the shape of human heads to preserve her remains for the afterlife.
Two of the jars, used to store Senetnay’s lungs and liver, are now held in the Egyptian collection of the Museum August Kestner in Hannover, Germany.
The jars sit empty after the mummified organs were lost, but residue of the mummification balms have been partially preserved as thin coatings on the walls and bases of the containers and in their porous limestone.
'Most complex' balms
Ancient Egyptian mummification was practised for nearly 4,000 years. Embalming – the preservation of the body and organs of the deceased for the afterlife – was central to the process.
The mummification process involved the removal of organs including the lungs, liver, stomach and intestines, followed by embalming. The organs were often mummified themselves and stored in separate canopic jars.
To investigate how the remains were preserved so well, scientists scraped and analysed balm residues from the jars, revealing beeswax, plant oil, fats, bitumen and other resins.
Archaeological chemist Barbara Huber and her colleagues found that some of the ingredients may have come as far away as South-East Asia, suggesting that Egyptians may have had far-reaching trade routes up to a millennium earlier than previously thought.
“These are the richest, most complex balms yet identified for this early time period and they shed light on balm ingredients, for which there is limited information in Egyptian textual sources,” the research said.
“They highlight both the exceptional status of Senetnay and the myriad trade connections of the Egyptians in the second millennium BCE.
“They further illustrate the excellent preservation possible even for organic remains long removed from their original archaeological context.”
The complexity of the ingredients and the distance they travelled revealed that Senetnay must have been a valued member of the pharaoh’s family unit, Ms Huber told the website Science News.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Points classification after Stage 4
1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124
2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81
3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66
4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
%3Cp%3ECory%20Sandhagen%20v%20Umar%20Nurmagomedov%0D%3Cbr%3ENick%20Diaz%20v%20Vicente%20Luque%0D%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Chiesa%20v%20Tony%20Ferguson%0D%3Cbr%3EDeiveson%20Figueiredo%20v%20Marlon%20Vera%0D%3Cbr%3EMackenzie%20Dern%20v%20Loopy%20Godinez%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETickets%20for%20the%20August%203%20Fight%20Night%2C%20held%20in%20partnership%20with%20the%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20went%20on%20sale%20earlier%20this%20month%2C%20through%20www.etihadarena.ae%20and%20www.ticketmaster.ae.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
