Hornedjitef was an Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

ian priest in the Temple of Amun at Karnak

Karnak

The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II . Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is located near Luxor, some...

 during the reign of Ptolemy III (246-222 BC). He is known from his elaborate coffins, mummy mask and mummy, dating from the Early Ptolemaic Period

Ptolemaic dynasty

The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...

 (around 220 BC) and excavated from Asasif, Thebes, Egypt, which are all held in the British Museum

British Museum

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...

. These related objects were chosen as the first of the hundred objects selected by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor

Neil MacGregor

Robert Neil MacGregor, OM, FSA is an art historian and museum director. He was the Editor of the Burlington Magazine from 1981 to 1987, the Director of the National Gallery, London, from 1987 to 2002, and was appointed Director of the British Museum in 2002...

 in the 2010 BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

 series A History of the World in 100 Objects

A History of the World in 100 Objects

A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...

.

Along with his coffins, mummy-case, mummy-mask and mummy, Hornedjitef's tomb contained items such as a papyrus Book of the Dead

Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead is the modern name of an ancient Egyptian funerary text, used from the beginning of the New Kingdom to around 50 BC. The original Egyptian name for the text, transliterated rw nw prt m hrw is translated as "Book of Coming Forth by Day". Another translation would be "Book of...

and a painted wooden figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris.

Reading

• Mack, J. (ed.), Masks: the art of expression London: The British Museum Press, 1994
• Strudwick, Nigel, Masterpieces of Ancient Egypt, London: British Museum Publications, 2006
• Walker, S. and Bierbrier, M., Ancient faces: mummy portraits London: The British Museum Press, 1997

External links

• Outer coffin of Hornedjitef in the British Museum
  • Outer coffin of Hornedjitef in the British Museum - detailed database entry
• Inner coffin and mummy of Hornedjitef in the British Museum
• Mummy mask of Hornedjitef in the British Museum
  • Inner coffin of Hornedjitef in the British Museum detailed database entry
  • Mummy-mask / mummy-case / cartonnage / anklet / human mummy of Hornedjitef in the British Museum detailed database entry
• Painted wooden figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris from the burial of Hornedjitef. British Museum
• Book of the Dead of Hornedjitef, papyrus sheet 1 of 8
• "Restoring the mummy and cartonnage case of Hornedjitef" British Museum
• BBC Radio 4 A History of the World in 100 Objects website page on Hornedjitef