Senbi the
Scribe is an Egyptian mummy which was donated to the Cleveland Museum of
Natural History as part of the Hamann-Todd Osteology collection.
The mummy
has not been dated; however, a cursory examination of the mummification
of his head reveals that it is very dark in color, presumably from an
over-use of resin. This suggests that the mummy was made at a late date
in Egyptian mummification, perhaps during the Greco-Roman period.
Senbi the
Scribe is an artificial mummy made by Egyptian mummymakers.
As part of
the Hammann-Todd Osteology collection, he was sacrificed (long ago by
the doctor who collected the mummy) so that his bones would be available
for study. A drawer in the museum's back room contains his body which
was reduced to a skeleton. The resin was so thick, however, that it
still coats many of the bones. The hands and feet were not taken apart
and each resides in its own little box in the skeleton's drawer (see
photo, below far left). The head, however, was kept in its mummified condition and
resides in a small box (about the size of a bowling ball) in a separate
room.
Senbi the
Scribe can only be seen by scholars and researchers. As part of the
osteology collection, he is not on display for the regular museum-goer
at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
But here is
a better look at Senbi:
|
click on
a thumbnail to see a larger view |
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Senbi's home is
this drawer; his hands and feet are kept in individual boxes. |
His head,
however, is kept in a box in a separate room |
This is a
close-up look at Senbi's head; his brain has been removed. |
A close-up of
one of Senbi's feet (the largest portion of it). |
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