The Mummy of Queen Nodjmet (1069–945 BC): The Mystery of the Living Stone Eyes and the Immortal Heart Hidden in the Ancient Tomb of Deir el-Bahari, Egypt!

The mummy of Queen Nodjmet was found in the royal chest at Deir el-Bahari (DB320). The mummy had been fitted with artificial eyes, made of black and white stones. The eyebrows are made of real hair and she wears a wig. His body and parts of his face were colored to give him a more vivid appearance.

Nodjmet was an ancient Egyptian noblewoman and/or queen of the late 20th Dynasty or early 21st Dynasty of Egypt, wife of Herihor, high priest of Amun in Thebes. It is possible that she was the daughter of Ramses XI. In the first years of her life, she held positions such as lady of the house and head of the harem of Amun.

Two Books of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ were found next to his mummy. One of them, the Papyrus (EA10490), currently in the British Museum, belonged to “the Mother of King Nodjmet, daughter of the Mother of King Hrere.”

The other Book of ᴅᴇᴀᴅ from his tomb can also be found in the collection of the British Museum (EA10541) and is one of the most beautifully illustrated papyri from Ancient Egypt.

Nodjmet had several sons: Heqanefer, Heqamaat, Ankhefenmut, Faienmut and the future High Priest of Amun/King Pinedjem I.

King Herihor and Queen Nodjmet worship Osiris, detail from the Book of the God of Nodjmet
British Museum. EA10541

The version of this funerary text that accompanied Queen Nodjmet in the afterlife, richly illustrated on a rarely exhibited piece of papyrus more than four meters long and 3,000 years old, will appear in the British Museum exhibition.

The queen’s body was covered with sawdust and her hands were placed at her sides. Among the layers of their wrappings were found a heart-shaped scarab and four small figures of the Four Sons of Horus.

The embalming wound, as well as the eyes, nose, mouth and ears, were covered with wax. The mummy of Queen Nodjmet has great historical and archaeological importance.

Queen Nodjmet was a member of the prestigious 21st dynasty, which played a crucial role in the political landscape of ancient Egypt. His mummy provides valuable information about the lineage and connections of this dynasty.

The Third Intermediate Period was a time of political fragmentation and instability in Egypt. The mummy of Queen Nodjmet helps historians and archaeologists understand the individuals and families involved in the power struggles of this era.

Queen Nodjmet’s mummy is adorned with intricate jewelery and funerary wrappings, displaying the artistic and cultural practices of the time.

These details contribute to our understanding of ancient Egyptian funerary customs and the craftsmanship of the period. Nodjmet had several sons: Heqanefer, Heqamaat, Ankhefenmut, Faienmut and the future High Priest of Amun/King Pinedjem I.

Modern scientific techniques, such as CT scans and DNA analysis, have been applied to Queen Nodjmet’s mummy.

These studies provide valuable information about their health, the cause of their death, and their family relationships, shedding light on the medical and genetic aspects of ancient Egyptian society.

“The 21st Dynasty is known in Egyptology as the pinnacle of the mummification technique for a reason. For the first time, elites developed an interest in the discrete self-sufficiency of the preserved body.

At the end of the Bronze Age, we see a series of changes in the art of embalming. First, it became the norm to return internal organs to the body after preservation rather than burying them in separate canopic jars and chests.

The mummies of the 21st Dynasty were not divided into different containers, but when the embalmed organs were returned to the mummy, the corpse was intact and complete, that is, autonomous.

Other innovations occurred: the natural and complete appearance of the bodywork was recovered.

The Nodjmet mummy has padding under the cheeks to restore fullness to the face, as well as external padding in the body to restore the lifelike quality of the torso and limbs.

Previously, in the New Kingdom, the mummy’s skin was left flabby and stretched, allowing the dried flesh to sink into the bones.

Now a more realistic face was desired. Embalmers of the 21st Dynasty also repaired any defects in the body and skin.Photograph by G. Elliott Smith (1871-1937)

They painstakingly repaired tears with leather patches and plaster, and even solved anatomical problems with additional wooden limbs.

The mummy’s skin was covered with a layer of plaster plus red or yellow paint, depending on the sex of the deceased.”

— The Objectification of the Body: The Increase in Value of the Ancient Egyptian Mummy During the Socioeconomic Crisis of the 21st Dynasty, by Kathlyn Cooney

Nodjmet was one of the first mummies discovered at the archaeological site of Deir el-Bahari (TT320) in the 19th century.

The body is that of an old woman. He was embalmed with a new mummification technique, which involved the use of false eyes and the bundling of limbs.

The fake eyes were constructed with black and white stones to give the mummy a more lifelike appearance. His limbs and face were also colored to show a lively appearance.

Although the queen was an older woman, she was fitted with a wig and false eyebrows (made from human hair) to achieve a more youthful appearance.

Nodjmet’s body was altered in modern times. He has cuts on his forehead, nose and cheeks caused by thieves who searched his body for valuables. The impression of jewelry on his right arm indicates that some valuables were stolen.

The mummified remains of Queen Nodjmet

The mummy of Queen Nodjmet is important for its historical, cultural, artistic and scientific contributions.

It helps piece together the puzzle of ancient Egyptian history and offers insight into royal life during the Third Intermediate Period.

Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXI, ca. 1069-945 BC C. Currently in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. JE 26215