The ornate coffins of high-status Ancient Egyptian Senneferem and one of his wives have been carefully opened at a museum in Egypt. The sarcophagi were unpacked in the hope of unraveling the mysteries inside, prompting some people to think the Curse of the Pharaohs, usually unleashed on anyone who disturbs an Ancient Egyptian mummy, will be triggered.
Senneferem was a skilled worker who oversaw other workers that lived in the Deir Al-Medina necropolis in Luxor and worked on the Valley of the KingsCredit: Reuters
Sennedjem was a skilled worker and Egyptian official who was buried in the workers’ village of Deir Al-Medina alongside his family.
He lived during the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty, around 3,400 years ago.
Known as a ‘Servant in the Place of Truth,’ he oversaw the workers building the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
His tomb was discovered in 1886 when he was found buried with his wife Iyneferti, along with more than 20 other relatives and household items, providing valuable insights into his life and the period. Sennedjem’s painted sarcophagus is in a good condition. Credit: EPA
Skilled experts carefully removed Sennedjem from his sarcophagus. Credit: EPA
Sennedjem received the same top-quality mummification process as many pharaohs. Credit: Reuters
Sennedjemβs sarcophagi and that of his wife have just been moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where they were unpacked in a preservation tent ready for restoration.
Skilled restorers conducted the unpacking process like a medical procedure.
The painted sarcophagi are said to be in very good condition.
They were previously displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square in Cairo.
The mummies are being restored so they can go on display in a sterilization chamber for over 20 days and undergo a process that will remove any insects from them.
Sennedjem and his wife will be placed in a sterilization chamber for over 20 days and could soon be displayed in a new exhibition hall, which opens in December.
Sennedjem lived around 3,400 years ago. Source: AFP or licensors
Both mummies will be part of a new exhibition in December. Source: EPA
The unwrapping was like a medical procedure. Source: EPA
The mummies are being unpacked and studied in the name of research, conducted by skilled experts who are hopefully not superstitious.
The curse of the pharaohs is an alleged curse that some people believe will affect anyone who disturbs mummies’ remains from Ancient Egyptian procession.
The mummies were shown to the public for the purpose of the careful procedure to remove them from their sarcophagi. Source: EPA
This supposed curse is not said to differentiate between archaeologicalists and thieves and is said to cause bad luck, illness, or even death.
It is often connected to King Tutankhamun and the peculiar fate that befell his tomb.
The research process will take months. Source: EPA
The mummies will be sterilized and fumigated to kill any insects that might be inside them. Source: Reuters
