Tenth International Congress of Egyptologists Abstracts of Papers

XICE – Abstract of Papers
development resulted finally in the fact that the scene had been raised to
cosmic / mythical level only through representing its protagonist as divine
being, i.e. the actual solar and chthonic aspect of the “great god”.
3. The divine figure of the 3rd hour of the Amduat as one of the chthonic aspects
of the sungod wears not only a similar sed-garment, but, moreover, is adorned
with ram-horns upon the head, thus can be considered as one of the precursors
of our figures in the discussed 21st Dynasty representations.
4. The panther head in connection with the rejuvenation recalls one type of the
wooden statues occurring in the tomb of Tutankhamun, the young king
(wearing Upper Egyptian crown) standing on the back of the panther which is
actually an artistic expression in the round of the same concept. The role of the
feline as desert animal in such funerary context was to guarantee the (royal)
deceased protection during the perilous transition to the other world. On the
other hand, the female panther’s cosmic function was to guarantee the sun’s
course through the sky.
The symbol of the panther head as iconographical motif therefore obviously
appeared to be highly suitable for the purposes of the composers of the discussed
papyri because it could be interpreted in several levels of symbolism, providing a
possibility of a multi-level approach having been preferred so much by the Twentyfirst
Dynasty Theban theologists.
The preservation and clearance of the damaged wooden coffins found at
Tomb [KV-63], Kings Valley, Luxor
Nadia Lokma
Ancient Egyptian wooden coffins are considered to be one of the most popular objects
found in excavations in Egypt. They are mostly found in a sensitive condition,
suffering from dryness, insects and sometimes microorganism attack.Unique
examples of this condition are the coffins found in Tomb [KV-63] in the Kings
Valley, Luxor, which were uncovered in the excavations of Memphis University. The
discovery of the tomb was formally announced by the SCA on the 10th of March,
2006. The shaft of the tomb, descending approximately five meters, connected to a
doorway. Beyond the doorway lay an undecorated “L-shaped” chamber filled with
coffins and large storage jars. The tomb contained twenty-eight large white-washed
storage jars: most of them were sealed, and eight wooden anthropoid [human-shaped]
coffins, around 3,500-3,000 years old [the tomb dates to the late eighteenth dynasty].
The discovery of this tomb came as a surprise to all the Egyptologists because since
the discovery of the tomb of [tut ank Amon], they thought there was nothing left to be
unearthed in the Valley of the Kings. However, there are many unanswered questions
concerning this tomb. For the conservator, the work in the tomb was a challenge as it
was badly infected by termites and all of the wooden coffins were in a very
deteriorated condition and almost impossible to move them without causing further
damage. This paper will discuss the work done to preserve and transport the Termite-
Damaged Coffins found in tomb KV 63.
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