In 1920, Met Egyptologist Herbert Winlock was clearing a tomb that was thought to have been completely robbed in ancient times. Winlock’s team discovered a hidden side chamber - left untouched for about 4000 years. This is the way he described his first glimpse into the chamber:

“There was nothing . . . to see but a ragged hole in the rock . . . , but when one by one we lay flat on the ground and shot a beam of light into that crack, one of the most startling sights it is ever a digger’s luck to see flashed before us. At first we hardly realized what we were looking into . . . . This much, however, was certain. We had found a small, totally untouched chamber crammed with myriads of little brightly painted statuettes of men and animals and models of boats.”

On the wall of this gallery is a large black and white photograph showing how these boats, miniature scenes, and statuettes were found. And if you look around in this room you see many of these finds--preserved in a pristine state even after 4000 years.

Look at the low case near the photograph. Here we have a garden with a pond and next to it is a busy bakery and brewery that shows various work stages such as crushing and grinding grain, baking bread, and bottling beer. Note the hands of the men working the dough - they are painted white since they are dusted with flour. Further on there is a granary, a slaughtering house, and a stable. These ancient models were part of the funerary equipment of a high official called Meketre. They were intended to provide sustenance and furnish the rituals needed for his afterlife.

Meketre also possessed a veritable fleet of boats that is across the room. But before you leave this gallery, please look at the large figure of a female offering bearer in the center of this room. She is artistically the most striking of the group, a true masterpiece of woodcarving. Walk around her, look at her back and the movement of her hips while she steps forward. Her feathered garment and her size compared to the other figures, suggest the offering bearer may even be a goddess.

While you look at her I would like to tell you more about how these objects came to the Museum. Press the play button to listen, and afterwards we’ll continue on to our next stop – the Temple of Dendur.