Chapter 6 Limbs Counted by the Gods: Proposing the Concept of Artificial “Reserve” and “Replacement” Parts in the Old Kingdom

In: Rethinking Ancient Egypt
Author:
Emily Smith-Sangster
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Chapter
Pages:
106–118
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004708402_007

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Abstract

The prevalence of anatomical artifacts discovered in Egyptian mortuary settings has often been relegated to discussions of mummy trappings along with all other amulets, jewelry, and material extensions of the body. These items, however, represent a unique assemblage of artifacts that deserve to be analyzed as their own group, united by their anatomical focus. With the physical corpse taking precedence in studies of post-mortem conceptions of the body in Egyptian culture, analyses have neglected to see how these anatomical artifacts could potentially assist in furthering such research. This paper works to begin rectifying this through the analysis of these anatomical artifacts and their usage, focusing on the Old Kingdom material as a case study. My research finds that these items, which often represent the most fragile portions of the body, can be classified as having served as “reserve” or “replacement” parts for the limbs of the deceased. The use of artificial parts in this manner highlights the necessity of bodily completeness to the post-mortem ideology, an idea highlighted in the mortuary texts of the time. Ultimately, the use of these reserve and replacement parts provided a pathway to the afterlife for those missing a portion of their body; the practice was also mimetic of, and possibly explained through, the Osiris mythology.

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Rethinking Ancient Egypt

Studies in Honor of Ann Macy Roth

Series:  Harvard Egyptological Studies, Volume: 22
Cover Rethinking Ancient Egypt
E-Book ISBN:
9789004708402
Publisher:
Brill
Print Publication Date:
24 Sep 2024
Front Matter
Part 1 New Interpretations
Part 2 Rethinking Methodologies
Part 3 New Evidence
Back Matter

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