Burial of a woman during her last months of pregnancy uncovered in Kom Ombo

A joint Italian-American archaeological mission taking place at the Kom Ombo archaeological project in Aswan, has uncovered a burial of a woman during her last months of pregnancy.

Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the burial was found almost entirely inside a cemetery that was used by travelers who moved to Egypt through desert areas from the southern side during the Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1750-1550 BC).

He said that the preliminary studies indicated that the woman was aged approximately 25 years old and as the fetus is located in the pelvic area, stabilized in the position of childbirth, it is believed she was in the last months of her pregnancy and due to give birth.

The initial analysis of the woman’s womb revealed problems or imbalances in the pelvic area, which indicated that she was probably suffering from a fracture that was treated incorrectly and likely caused death. Dr. Waziri pointed out that the skeleton of the lady was found wrapped in a leather shroud and next to it were numerous remnants of pottery; one was an Egyptian jar that was worn out due to frequent use; the other was a polished red and black container, which is believed to have belonged to travelers who settled within the area. The red and black color scheme dating back to the Predynastic age of Egypt, represented the two lands of the Egyptian landscape; red; the baron desert lands and black; the fertile silt lands of the Nile.



In addition, there were numerous offerings buried along side the deceased within the pit grave. Among them were beads of ostrich egg shell. It is possible that the deceased herself was a bead-maker in life. Her family has left a large amount of unused material beside her as offerings to honor her memory and possibly to keep her occupied in the afterlife.



Photos courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

Text translated by spiritsdancinginthenight