in the bandages of mummies, grounding his opinion partly on their appearance and touch, and partly on the testimony of Herodotus, whom he misinterpreted in the manner, which will hereafter be mentioned[1].
Another of these authors, M. Costaz, who contributed the memoir on the grotto of El Kab, asserts that the mummy cloth is found on examination to be cotton[2].
An important paper on the same subject appeared in the Philosophical Transactions for 1825. In this Dr. A. B. Granville describes a mummy, which he opened. He dwells more particulary on the circumstances, which have reference to anatomical and surgical considerations, and expresses very strongly his admiration of the skill and neatness employed in folding the cloth, so as to present an example of every kind of bandage used by modern surgeons, and to exhibit it in the most perfect manner.
The passages which are connected with the present inquiry, will be quoted at length. Dr. Granville observes (p. 272.),
The principal rollers appear to be made of a very compact, yet elastic linen,
some of them from four to five yards in length, without any stitch or seam in any
part of them. There were also some large square pieces thrown around the head,
thorax, and abdomen, of a less elastic texture. These pieces were found to alternate
with the complete swathing of the whole body. They occurred four distinct
times; while the bandaging, with rollers and other fasciæ, was repeated, at least,
twenty times. The numerous bandages, by which the mummy was thus enveloped,
were themselves wholly covered by a roller 3-1/2 inches wide and 11 yards
long, which after making a few turns around both feet, ascended in graceful spirals
to the head, whence descending again as far as the breast, it was fixed there.
The termination of this outer roller is remarkable for the loose threads hanging
from it in the shape of a fringe and for certain traces of characters imprinted on
it similar to those described and delineated by Jomard in the Déscription de
l'Egypte. One or two of these characters have corroded the linen, leaving the
perforated traces of their form.
Dr. Granville gives a fac-simile of these characters, and in
the same Plate he represents the exact appearance of the external
rolls of cloth on the mummy. He then says (p. 274.),
I have satisfied myself, that both cotton and linen have been employed in the
preparation of our mummy, although Herodotus mentions only cotton (byssus)
