made for the burial, since they were not long enough to go around the arms or legs and there was no means of fastening them together, so they were simply placed on the arms and legs of the mummy.35 Several other smaller objects and many more beads were found, but their exact function and arrangement remain obscure.
Within the second coffin, but outside the anthropoid coffin, was found a set of staves and weapons (Fig. 16). These consisted of a double staff known as pedj-aha in ancient Egypt; a long heqa staff and a simple staff with a forked lower end called abet;36 two was scepters, one wavy staff, and another more or less plain staff. Both was scepters had a stylized animal head on the top with eyes; one even had a broad collar painted under the head. This group also included two bows, a flail,37 and a mace.38 The flail was made of several conical beads attached to a wooden handle. The final object was a mace with a head made of aragonite (a type of stone). In the anthropoid coffin placed close to Senebtisi on her left side was also found a copper dagger,39 placed within a partly gilded wooden sheath. The dagger was one of the most important items placed in certain burials of women in the late Middle Kingdom. In the Old Kingdom the dagger is already listed with other items also known from the late Middle Kingdom burials at the royal court.40 The dagger was evidently seen as essential for a certain type of burial. Its religious or ritual meaning still remains obscure.
16. Scepters and flail. From Mace, Winlock 1916, pl. XXa.
Within the wrappings at the head of Senebtisi’s mummy was found a round disk about 8 cm in diameter made of a dark resinous material (Fig. 17). Similar objects are known from the burials of the royal women discovered next to the pyramid of Amenemhat II. The function of this object is unknown.41
Next to the coffin on the left or east side was a long box once containing another set of staffs and scepters. These were badly decayed; only the stone head of a mace was well preserved. Next to the long box stood two small boxes or shrines, each about 20 cm high. These are both highly exceptional objects, not recorded in other burials of this type. One wonders what they once contained. All that was found inside was the remains of cloth, but its original function could not be determined. There are several options. The shrines were found next to the box containing the royal insignia. Often these royal insignia are also depicted on coffins of about the same time or slightly earlier. These depictions always include crowns. Is it possible that actual crowns were placed in these small shrines? So far no such crowns have been found. The depictions do not make it clear from what material they were made, but it has been proposed that they were made of fur or some other lightweight organic material.42 According to this hypothesis, the crowns depicted in Egyptian art are highly stylized and might originally have looked quite different. This, however, is only a guess. Without further parallels these two boxes remain highly enigmatic. Another option is that they served as receptacles for material left over from the embalming process. There are indeed several cases where the embalming material received its own “burial.” This is always attested outside the tomb chamber, however, and not as close to the coffin as Senebtisi’s boxes.43
17. Clay disk found under the head of Senebtisi’s mummy. From Mace, Winlock 1916, pl. XXVIIIh.
18. Inscriptions on the canopic box of Senebtisi. From Mace, Winlock 1916, p. 37, figs. 19–22.
19. The canopic jars of Senebtisi. From Mace, Winlock 1916, pl. XXXIIIa.
On the east side of the coffin was a niche for the canopic box. The box was made of cedar, but like the coffins it was already badly decayed when found. The excavators were still able to copy most of the inscriptions, however. The box was inscribed on the east and west sides with short formulae that normally appear on canopic jars, while the texts on the north and south sides are without parallel on canopic boxes (Fig. 18). Within the box were four uninscribed canopic jars. The jars were made of stone, differing in color and size. In contrast, the heads atop the jars were made of wood and were painted.44 These jars once contained the entrails of the mummy (Fig. 19).
Finally, the pottery from the tomb should be mentioned. Two hundred and six vessels were found (Fig. 20). Many of these were small model vessels perhaps specially made for the tomb. There were, however, also nine large dishes. Two of them still contained the bones of animals, evidently part of the eternal food supply or funeral meal for Senebtisi. Another dish was filled with many small saucers, and finally one filled with 125 small clay balls, perhaps imitating incense pellets. These dishes were perhaps normally used for serving food, especially meat.45 They belong to the most common pottery vessels found in late Middle Kingdom tombs.46 Other vessels found included a type of hemispherical cup that was most likely used for drinking water or other liquids and is very typical of the Middle Kingdom;47 small plates that were perhaps for serving dried fruits;48 and taller beaker-like vessels once perhaps containing liquid or fat.49 All these vessels were most likely important for ensuring the eternal food supply.
20. The pottery from the tomb of Senebtisi. From Mace, Winlock 1916, p. 110, fig. 82.
Other vessels found were used in rituals. These include four small jars,50 perhaps of a type called nemset. They were important for purification and are mentioned several times in Pyramid Texts:51 “You are cleaned with your four nemset and four aabet jars.”52 They also appear in the friezes of objects on the inside of Middle Kingdom coffins (Fig. 21).53 Furthermore, eight examples of each of two different types of larger vessel were also found.54 Susan Allen noted that the number four was important.55 These eight vessels were either two sets of identical ritual vessels or four sets of vessels for rituals where the same form was used for two different functions. One option is that these are senu vases, placed under an idol of Osiris during the Khoiak festival.56
We shall see that the burial of Senebtisi has many points in common with burials of royal women in the late Middle Kingdom. The pottery is different, however, and has more in common with the pottery found in private burials, while burials of royal women most often contained socalled “queen’s ware,” a pottery style typical of burials of royal women of the late Middle Kingdom copying Old Kingdom fine tableware. This comes as no surprise, since Senebtisi did not have royal status and was most likely not part of the royal family.57
21. Two cultic vessels from the tomb of Senebtisi. From Mace, Winlock 1916, pl. XXIV.
Who Was Senebtisi?
Senebtisi bears the title “lady of the house.” On some items of her burial equipment she is also attributed with the second name Sathapy, “Daughter of Hapy.”58 Beside this, nothing is known for
