Both Marie-Therese and Omar were aware of the constraints and accepted that DNA analysis could never provide all the answers. Samples from mummies and body parts would, hopefully, reveal unique genetic sequences expressed as chains of ATGC. A specific sequence could then be compared to the sequences from other bodies or body parts. This was a relatively easy exercise as the sequences are screened and the researcher looks for similarities or differences.
Dr. Hussein ultimately planned to establish a national register of preserved remains from the early dynastic period until the practice of mummification ceased at the latter part of the Roman occupation of Egypt. The register would include both human and animal bodies and would ultimately extend to mummies held overseas. He had no shortage of material to work with as Ancient Egypt had twenty-six royal necropolises and over one hundred and fifteen other burial grounds. To his way of thinking, whilst archaeologists sifted through thousands of artefacts to build up a picture of the culture, it was just as important to create a biological profile of the people who lived within, and build, the civilisation.
But first, he wanted to sort out the New Kingdom collection and prove the value of the DNA technique. Too much earlier identification of mummies was based on educated guesswork. If DNA profiling demonstrated its worth, conjecture would be eliminated and replaced by irrefutable results.
Recently, he had read a report in which the bold statement was made that the unidentified body in KV55 had to be the elusive Pharaoh Smenkhkare, the elder brother of Tutankhamen and son of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. The claim was based on a thorough but traditional examination of bones found in the tomb. Whilst he did not automatically dispute the findings, he knew well the folly of making adamant statements based on conventional forensic tests. He would feel more comfortable with the initial finding, if they were verified by a DNA analysis. As a blood relative was available in the undisputed remains of Tutankhamen, his DNA profile could be compared to a parallel analysis on the remains claimed to be King Smenkhkare. The outcome would be definitive. The expressions so widely strewn across Egyptology, ‘had to be’, ‘must be’, ‘probably is’ and the like, would largely disappear from journal and books.
The motivation and sequence of events leading to the desecration of royal and non- royal mummies and their final move to KV35 and DB320, and probably other caches, was poorly understood but no less horrendous. Reflecting on this grotesque saga, Dr. Hussein thought just how incredibly sad it was that these rulers, some of the greatest in Ancient Egypt, had ended up in grisly collections, stripped of all their finery, all evidence of their previous power and prestige lost in a confusion of torn and tangled linen, desiccated flesh, dried bones and battered coffins. He was determined to give these corpses the dignity of correct identification, so those who gazed upon their wizened bodies might attain a sense of the grandeur that once attended these rulers and their families.
After months of intense research, he had produced a set of New Kingdom genealogical tables to assist Marie-Therese’s team in establishing the mosaic of familial relationships. For the initial DNA trials, he would not include the mummies from the queen’s valleys and other necropolises. If required, the laboratory could extract test material from those remains and add it to the overall analysis. Several mummies of possible significance were held in museums outside Egypt and he would contact these organisations if additional specimens were required to fill gaps in the final profile.
Given enough time, money and the rapid advances in genetic analysis, Omar knew more of the puzzle would be unravelled although no complete picture could ever emerge. So much ancient evidence had already vanished through deliberate destruction and the loss of thousands of mummies to private collectors, pharmacists making potions and even those who had used mummies as furnace fuel.
Negligence and accidents had also played their part. In the late Nineteenth Century, two visiting Englishwomen obtained a mummy and finding themselves dismayed by its smell, they threw it into the Nile. Fable has it that it was the remains of Ramesses I, though a mummy bearing his provenance had recently surfaced in Canada. The bombing of London in 1941 saw the tragic loss of Ranefer, one of the oldest mummies known. Bodies have been misplaced whilst still in the hands of professional archaeologists. The mummy of Pinudjem I, found in DB320, was photographed in the 1880’s and then disappeared as did bones discovered in the newly opened tomb of Horemheb and, so Hussein thought, the sorry story unfolds.
Professor Schadlich’s visit proved illuminating in more ways than one. Omar Hussein, a not unattractive man, found himself flirting with her first at the protocol meetings and then over the dinner table. To his surprise and pleasure, she was responsive. On a field trip to show her the tombs at Luxor, the flirtation had become serious and led to an encounter he would never have with a corpse! At Cairo Airport, before boarding the Paris flight, she had asked him if he could arrange to come to Paris for further discussions on anatomy. The caress of her hand on his cheek had him searching his budget for travelling expenses as soon as he returned to his desk. Paris in the Spring was a tempting proposition.
Once the technical protocols were signed, Dr. Hussein’s colleagues removed each mummy from its storage area or display case and had it delivered to the laboratory. Its provenance was documented and photographs taken before, during and after the extraction of selected whole teeth and bone sections. To secure uncontaminated specimens from mummies, technicians need to secure extracts not contaminated by natron salts, resins, chemicals in palm wine and DNA residues from embalmers, priests and other acts of human intervention. This meant taking samples from bone marrow or dental pulp, as the processes of mummification did not necessarily destroy DNA in deep seated parts of bodies. Specimens were placed in stainless steel containers, purged with nitrogen gas and hermetically sealed. The collection, which had taken over a year to process, was delivered to Cairo Airport for shipment to Paris. The local media had a field day, Dr. Hussein and his key staff were feted at a dinner hosted by the CEA Chairman and Egyptologists universally hailed the project as a ground-breaking advance.
The French Government, accepting the honour bestowed on its scientific community, felt the material from Cairo to be so momentous, a police escort guarded the consignment from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Institute, an incident that gave the project worldwide notoriety. Marie-Therese and Omar managed to escape the scrutiny of the Paris Press long enough to enjoy a weekend in the Swiss Alps where DNA was transferred in ways not normally associated with laboratories.
Back in Cairo, Dr. Hussein returned to the routine of managing his department, knowing it would be some time before he received any meaningful results from the Institute. Whilst he waited, there was a related investigation into the vast Memphite necropolis to keep him busy with further detective work. No longer regretting his career move, he enthused about future projects which, he conceded, were infinitely more interesting than dissecting bodies fished out of the Nile. That the research involved Marie-Therese in no way influenced his decision making, or so he liked to believe. They did, however, spend a lot of time plotting justifications for personal attendance at ‘essential scientific discussions’ in both Paris and Cairo.
Chapter 21 - A KING’S ANGUISH
Egypt -1249 BC
I was unable to console Ramesses at Nefertari’s funeral as circumstances allowed no intimate contact with the royal family. I acknowledged him outside the temple with a nod of my head and he briefly left the cortege, came to my side but could not speak of his grief, which was deeply etched on his face. He merely took my extended hand, accepted Ipi’s murmur of condolence and shook his head in sorrow. I muttered a few words of empty comfort and he was gone, his sons clustered around him offering support.
At the conclusion of the internment, he went straight back to the royal barque and immediately sailed southwards. A small number of servants and officers of the Royal Guard embarked with the king and his sons, Merenptah and Khaemwaset. The plinth on which hi
s wife’s coffin had been borne for its voyage to Thebes had been hurriedly removed and, on the king’s instructions, burnt. I heard that four horses and two chariots had been loaded on board, together with hunting equipment.
When we met again, he said the party had sailed with no particular destination in mind. His grief had unmanned him and he wished only to flee to the solitude of the desert. On the journey towards Nubia, he and his party made no landfall at any of the settlements on the Nile, much preferring to encamp on a deserted river bank. If he felt so disposed, he and his sons took the chariots and went hunting, to the consternation of the Royal Guard commander. Remote parts of Upper Egypt were the stronghold of roving bands of brigands noted for their merciless attacks on those who left the safety of the river in areas where the royal writ was but a trace in the sand.
The commander was not concerned about the royal group being savaged by wild animals as he had hunted with the king and knew he and Prince Merenptah were skilled with spear and arrow. Both would protect Prince Khaemwaset, a scholarly fellow not known for his prowess with weapons, being more at home with texts in the confines of the Memphis temple. His fears proved to be unfounded. At nightfall, father and sons returned with some dead animal draped over the chariot’s side. They ate well but simply – game being an easy meal to prepare over a fire and they were well used to the spartan food of the hunter’s camp. Ever thoughtful, the king brought a goodly supply of wine and beer which he shared with the sailors, soldiers and manservants. After they encamped on the first night, Ramesses gathered the men together and addressed them.
“All of you have been with me for many years. You, Tjeti, have commanded the royal barque for so long you have grown river weed upon your shoulders. Memisabu, you and the soldiers you chose for this voyage, fought with me at Qadesh and many other campaigns. Sepa, you have held the rudder of my vessel for more excursions on the river that I can count and always my passage has been guided with skill.”
“I have suffered a grievous loss, one which I fear may break my spirit. On this journey, I wish you to be my companions and forget that I am your king. We will tell jokes, talk of war and women, eat good but rough food and perhaps, as the sky darkens at night, drink much wine and beer together. I know of your loyalty and devotion to Queen Nefertari and I feel you share in my loss. I bring only two of my sons with me – to invite them all would require many transport vessels.” There was laughter from the men. “I brought Khaemwaset as I believe it is time he smelt the air outside a temple and got a little dirt on his kilt.” More laughter, as it was known the prince was fastidious in his personal habits. “Merenptah is well known to you as both a warrior and hunter. He is conversant with dirty clothing and getting a little blood on his hands. Let us enjoy this voyage as equals whilst it lasts for we will have enough time when we return to the cities to become ruler and subject again.”
It took a few days to realise the king meant what he said. The men relaxed and there was an ease within the group. They fished, making unfavourable remarks about the king’s inability to catch anything other than bait fish, hunted on foot when the game was close to the camp, got very dirty from their informal landings and encampments, bathed in the Nile together and related many stories of war, previous hunts, of foreign lands, women and told many jokes that would not find favour with their womenfolk.
Prince Khaemwaset proved to be a raconteur of note and he visibly unbent, especially after he had fallen into an ooze of black mud whilst helping to moor the vessel one afternoon and was greeted with howls of laughter. He willingly took lessons from the soldiers on the use of the spear and sword and, even though it was recognised he would never acquire the prowess with weapons of his father or brother, he could at least defend himself adequately. He drew the men’s admiration when he stood his ground in the face of a charging lion and he caught more fish than any of them. When asked to reveal the secret of his success with rod and line, he winked and said catching fish was like training priests – you needed a lot of patience, the right food on the hook – and knowing when to jerk the line.
The group sailed ever southwards, past Hierakonopolis, Aswan and Elephantine, past the islands of Philae and Sehef and the great temple at Abu Simbel until they reached Buhen, near the Second Cataract. At first, the king spent much time by himself, sitting at the prow of the vessel or walking along the river bank in silence. No-one made comment about the tears on his cheeks nor when his body shuddered with inaudible sobbing. Death of loved ones was known to all the men and they respected his need for solitude. However, when they ate their evening meal around the camp-fire and the wine and beer took hold, he began to thaw and, after two weeks, all could see that he was healing, his grief assuaged by the passage of time and the companionship of his compatriots. Then, one morning, a month after they had left Thebes, Ramesses told his companions it was time to retrace their steps and return to the city. The barque turned downstream and they made swift passage to Abu Simbel, stopping to allow Ramesses and the princes to meet with Ashahebsed and inspect the temple. On they sailed, making official stops at Elephantine and Hierakonopolis. Just before they reached Thebes, the king asked that the barque be brought to the river bank. Once the vessel was moored, he called the men together on the deck. He thanked each one personally and took each man’s hand into his own. He addressed them,
“From my heart, you have the undying gratitude of your king. Whilst the gods have reconciled me with the loss of my queen, it has been your warmth, understanding and fellowship that has healed me the most. You will all be well rewarded in the Afterlife and I will ensure your life here in the kingdom is made more comfortable. What I can grant you is but a small repayment for what your camaraderie has meant to me, in this difficult time. Now, let us return to Thebes and see if there is still a kingdom for me to rule.”
The barque arrived at the Theban quay, unannounced. When labourers were called to unload the chariots and horses, people became aware Ramesses was in their midst. The mantle of kingship was again firmly in place and cheering broke out from his subjects as he drove towards the temple. Their beloved Pharaoh had returned.
A messenger arrived at my office with a note asking me to join the king at the palace, early the following morning. I knew of his return and was honoured he wished to see me so soon after his arrival. Next morning, I drove over to the palace and was admitted to the throne room, where he sat surrounded by scribes and administrators. He looked up when I was announced, smiled warmly and requested that I wait a few minutes, whilst he finished some business. He called for a servant to bring food and grape juice for both of us.
I watched him closely whilst he dictated orders, read documents and discussed matters with the officials gathered near the throne. Fifty inundations had come and gone since his birth and he was beginning to show signs of aging. Still a large-framed man, though a little less muscular and there were new lines etched on his face. Remarkably, his hair was still untouched by grey, unlike mine. His instructions were issued crisply and the air of command more than evident. He finished with his entourage and dismissed them with a command to return at his call. He rose and came to where I was seated, awaiting his pleasure.
After quenching his thirst, he grabbed a handful of dates, a beaker of juice and asked me to accompany him. We walked out onto the courtyard and sat on a granite bench facing a small ornamental pool shaded by acacia and pomegranate trees. Brightly coloured fish played amongst the lilies in the pond. A turtle, taking in the warmth of the sun, reposed on a rock embedded in the pool. A long watercourse fed the pool from the river and the sound of water trickling on rocks created a pleasant backdrop to our conversation.
Ramesses turned to me. “My friend, you look well. I trust your wife and children also enjoy good health?”
“Master, we are well. Ipi complains about gaining weight, my children give us endless trouble as they approach adulthood, your workload continues to keep me busy at my desk but, otherwise, I lead a life of ease.” I smiled.
/> “Sennefer, I apologise deeply for not seeing you after the funeral. I appreciate that Ipi and Nefertari were intimate friends but I admit I could not face you at the time. I had considered ending my life after her death and possibly would have done so if not for the support of my sons. You would have perceived my desire and I did not wish to burden you with thoughts of my self-destruction. You are too dear to me.”
This was a startling admission. The taking of one’s life was regarded an evil act and widely thought to deny the soul of a person, who had taken their own life, any possibility of a Second Life. At the moment of judgement, the soul would be found dishonoured and given to the Devourer with despatch. We were silent for a moment. “And now?” I asked. He told me of his sojourn with his sons and companions. He had obviously thought deeply on his future.
“I spent much the time taking the measure of my life and its achievements. I have many children, my second wife, Isetnofret, is loyal and devoted, there is peace and prosperity in the realm and my friends obviously care for my welfare, so I stayed my hand from its intended course.”
“I am glad you reached this decision, for who else would burden me with work if you had gone?” We both laughed lightly.
He became pensive again. “Do you know when the breath left Nefertari, I cried out to the gods in anguish? I beseeched those whom I believe to be my father and brothers. I went on bended knees to the temple in Memphis and knelt before the shrines. Once before, at Qadesh, Amun heard my pleas and I hoped to hear his consoling voice again. I wept bitter tears and tore my garments in my despair as the pain was like an arrow in my side that I could not pull out. Did the gods speak to me, did they offer succour in my hour of harrowing distress? Sennefer, I heard nothing, not one word nor whisper came from the gods. The statues were silent, the shrines empty of the soothing words I begged to hear. Until that moment in my life, I had no doubt of my union with the gods.”
The Golden Falcon Page 28