TUTANKHAMEN'S COFFIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19217, 5 January 1926, Page 10

TUTANKHAMEN'S COFFIN.

GOLD VALUED AT £40,000. A LOAD FOR EIGHT MEN. CASKET IN CAIRO MUSEUM. By Toleuraph—Presa Association—Copyright. Router. CAIRO, Jan. 3, Eight men were required to carry the coffin of Tutankhamen, which was brought from Luxor and is now in tho Cairo Museum. Tho value of the gold of which tho coflin is mado is estimated at £40,000. According to tho official communique describing the work dono in the Tomb of Tutankhamen, the mummy was examined in situ owing to tho impossibility of removing it from the coffin without injury. Tho outer surfaces of the wrappings, which were in a very fragile condition, were first consolidated with a thin coating of parafin wax, after which Professor Douglas Derry made a longitudinal incision extending from tho mask to tho feet. The outer coverings were then turned back, exposing the next layer of wrappings, which proved to be equally carbonised and decayed, and this mado orderly unwrapping impossible. During the work a large number of interesting and beautiful objects were gradually revealed, and photographic and written records were made at each stage. Among the objects brought to light, the more important are : —Small amuletic collars, a superb gold dagger with a crystal handle, bracelets of intricate workmanship, finger "rings of divers materials, somo having scarabs bearing the names of kings for their bezels, a second dagger even more beautiful than the first, several large inlaid pectorals, beadwork ornaments, gold circlets. The body was much emaciated and carbonised; upon his feet were goldqn sandals and each too and finger had a golden stalL Both forearms wore loaded with magnificent jewels. The jewellery discovered upon the Pharaoh, far exceeded expectations.