Fragments of Mummy Cartonnage (Catalog Cart. 3 a + b)

Fragment Dimensions:

     Fragment A  5.0 cm wide x  4.1 cm high x approx. 0.1 cm thick
     Fragment B  7.4 cm wide x  8.1 cm high x approx. 0.1 - 0.2 cm thick

Description:
     
    Two non-joining (?) fragments of undecorated cartonnage.
    These two fragments originated from the same mummy cartonnage. 
    Cartonnage constructed from gesso over a papyrus core.


Fragment A 

   
FRONT
    
     Undecorated cream colored gesso (plastered) surface.
     Gesso is cracked and has multiple holes from 
     insect damage.
     The gesso surface is coarse and was unevenly applied.
     The papyrus layer directly below the gesso shows
     traces of writing.
     Parts of letters are visible on the papyrus piece
     exposed on the top left edge of the fragment.
     

BACK
    
     The multiple layers of papyrus used to make the
     cartonnage are exposed
     There are at least 3, (probably more) separate layers
     of papyrus sheets present.
     The papyrus layers show insect damage (trails and holes).
     
     On the right side of the outer most surface of the fragment, 
     the remnants of four lines of writing are visible.
     The writing is along the fibers.
     The middle of this papyrus shows a flaw in its construction. 
     Two horizontal strips of papyrus have an uneven joining border
     edge (space/gap) between them which increases as it moves to 
     the left forming a triangular gap.  This gap exposes the 
     vertical under (backside) papyrus strips of this papyrus sheet.  
     The scribe has partially written over this imperfection.
     
     The single line of text located at the middle on the left side 
     of the fragment looks like an extension of the line of
     text on the right. However, it is clearly not.
     This text is from a papyrus sheet below the uppermost one. 
     The vertical strips making the back of the uppermost papyrus sheet
     exposed by the flaw in its manufacture stop at the middle of the 
     fragment.       
     The writing on this papyrus appears to be written along the fibers.
     
     The writing visible on these papyri is in Greek and written in a 
     style corresponding to the Ptolemaic period.
     
     
     

Fragment B

    
FRONT
    
     Undecorated cream colored gesso (plastered) surface.
     Gesso is cracked and has multiple holes from 
     insect damage.
     The cartonnage surface is very uneven.
     The gesso surface is coarse and was unevenly applied.
     The papyrus layer directly below the gesso shows
     traces of writing.
     

BACK
    
     The multiple layers of papyrus used to make the
     cartonnage are exposed
     There are at least 4, (probably more) separate layers
     of papyrus sheets present.
     The papyrus layers are extensively insect damaged showing
     the insect trails and holes.
     On the top right side near the edge of the fragment is a
     small white circular spot.  This is a remnant of the outer 
     gesso surface.  This indicates that this cartonnage was 
     plastered on both sides.
     Parts of two (?) letters are visible along the upper right 
     edge of the fragment.
     




NOTES

     The cartonnage images were scanned directly from the actual
     cartonnage fragments.
     At present, it is unclear how the two fragments were
     orientated in relation to to each other in the original
     cartonnage piece.
     Their flat nature suggests they were probably part of a mummy
     pectoral or leg covering.
     There are currently no plans to extract the papyrus fragments 
     from these cartonnage pieces.
     

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