THE OLDEST MUMMY

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1932, Page 8

THE OLDEST MUMMY

EXAMINATION BY X-RAYS

SOME INTERESTING FEATURES

LONDON, October 31

Ea Nofer, an Egy.ot'an nobleman who lived a'oout 2800 8.C., »is t 0 be examined with the aid of X-rays. Hip trouble is that he suffered a- number of fractures gome time during- the past 2000 years when robbers raided bis tomb, and b’o present condition gives rise to -anxiety. ! He wiiV get free treatment because h e is the oldest "mummy in the j world .and, K greatly resjiectfd,y;s ip . r-, Treatment will -‘bern&dm jin i stored unifier jffie direction :i oF'‘'PrtfOs£Bpr •Ell otliSmiih®, 'tifte eminent 1 'aftthtoprlpgist, and in the end Ra Nofer will b e given a .new glass case and a position of honour in the museum of th'e Royal College of Surgeons, London, where he • now lies.

[The project is part of a -scheme initiated by Sr, Arthur Keith, the Curator of the museum,. for the d : eplay of the more ■ importaiTit mummied in a room of their own.

“There are several interesting features about Da Nofer which cannot- be appreciated in 'his present wooden case,” Professor Elliot-Smith. told a representative of the “Morning' Post.” “For example, his wrappings bear a replica of eyes, and the eyebrows are ornamented with green paint. . “This was almost certainly a magical procedure intended to confer life on the mummy, green .fieing. the .colour of 'life. In' my 'i&pinioff this; Yh.f\ 'OlTonul motive of the' igreen eyebrow paint used by living people in the ancient, world,. whatever reasons they may have given later for the centinua-r tion of the custom. - “Then Ra. Nofer is endowed v r: th a noertacbo: he lived in the only pei iod in Egyptian history when moustaches were worn, .probably .as the result .of fSvrien influence. At all other periods the, high officials were clean -shaven

' “Neither the paint nor the moustache e"-i -he seen in the pre-ept care or photographs, but in a strong light they are clearly discernible. When the renovation has been completed, I hope to give the first complete account of , this most'important mummy.: ■ - | “Although this is- the .oldest surviving mummy,' there are known to have bp.en earlier attempts at mummification.” .

i Ra Nofer was discovered by Sir Flinders Petrie in 1892.

- Grey hair must be re-vital:sed at roots to restore natural colour. Rachel Tonic does this. Not. a dye. 3s 6d W. E. chemist.—Advt.