Takabuti, The Ulster Museum Egyptian Mummy

Takabuti (The Egyptian Mummy) lived during the 25th dynasty c660BC. She came to the museum in 1834 and was unwrapped in February 1835. She is located in the Life & Death of Ancient Egypt Gallery(13).

The mummy of the lady Takabuti and her case represent the Egyptian collection of some 2000 objects. She was a married lady of about thirty years of age and she lived in the important city of Thebes at the end of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty.

Takabuti and her case
The Egyptian mummy Takabuti and her case were brought back from Thebes by Mr Thomas Greg of Ballymenoch House, Holywood. Her arrival was eagerly awaited by the members of the Belfast Natural History & Philosophical Society, whose museum in College Square North was to be her new resting place.

As was the custom of the day, she was unwrapped on 27 January 1835 in front of specially invited members of the Society. In attendance were medical men and the celebrated Rev. Dr Edward Hincks who was rector of Killyleagh Parish Church for forty years. He was an expert in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian cuneiform writing.

He was able to tell the assembled company that her name was Takabuti and that she was a married woman of between 20 and 30 years of age and the mistress of a great house. Her father was a priest of Amun and was called Nespare, while her mother was called Tasenirit. The excellent degree of mummification and the fact that she had been buried in the large cemetery on the Western side of Thebes showed that she was a woman of wealth and importance. Her burial took place at the end of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty, c660 BC. Her little cape of faience beads was the burial fashion at this date. When she was re-wrapped, her face, arm and foot were left uncovered and she has remained this way ever since.

The local newspapers told the general public that they could first see Takabuti on 30 and 31 January and on 2, 4 and 6 February. She was a sensation and it is recorded that, at Easter 1835, the large public crowds never tired of inspecting her. Her fascination for visitors has never waned and today she is well known as the noble representative of a great ancient civilisation.

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[Ancientafrica]

Recontructed head is Wrong.

Why are you showing Black mummies in Europe instead of white mummies? Because there were NO white in ancientEgypt. Your reconstructed FACE is 100%+ Wrong. Your recontruction is going away from African. Why are you going from Europe to Africa to search for your roots?

[Ancientafrica]

That mummie looks much older and was a very dark person. The reconstructed head is not correct.

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Lll

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Jhhh

[Prospro8]

@madkeyra ...The reconstruction was done by computer imaging and archaeological forensics using scanners and resonance imaging, then CGI face mapping. I haven't visited the newly revamped museum yet, (I did some sound material for other exhibits),though I've seen Takabuti several times. I'm not sure why she looks African to you (she does seem to have a long foot) but there's no way to tell that just by looking. The experts claimed she had red hair, so may not have been Egyptian. Who knows?

[Prospro8]

Herodotus was a Greek, not a Roman historian. It would be as well to get that right. I suppose Takabuti is presented in the display with some dignity (as much as can be expected, she didn't anticipate our centuries of gawking) but it's probably as well to take the 'reconstructions' with a pinch of salt.  A TV documentary mentioned her red hair as unusual for Egyptians, but in fact they died their hair with henna regularly, so one would wonder if she was indeed naturally red.

[madkeyra]

I don't know where they get these reconstructions from. The Reconstruction looks nothing like the mummy. Her chin doesn't match the rest of her face. Her eyes are too close together. They look beety her nose looks broad. Its like they just make what they think instead of looking at the mummy for clues.  These reconstructions are horrible. Just horrible. That doesn't look like the mummy or an Ancient Egyptians. SHE looks like a man. The mummy looks African the bust doesn't

[madkeyra]

I don't know where they get these reconstructions from. The Reconstruction looks nothing like the mummy. Her chin doesn't match the rest of her face. Her eyes are too close together. They look beety her nose looks broad.  Its like they just make what they think instead of looking at the mummy for clues. These reconstructions are horrible. Just horrible. That doesn't look like the mummy or an Ancient Egyptians

[RamessesIX]

The narrator has such a lovely speaking voice, ideal for the somber resonance of a museum, her choice of material making wonderful use of limited time. And, the writings of Herodotus of Halicarnassus do hold much of interest. Quite also intriguing is the story of what has happened to the mummy since leaving Egypt, showing how the daughter of Egypt may hold more lasting importance for us than she did during her lifetime.