Veldmeijer Tutankhamun’s Footwear Tutankhamun’s Footwear Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 is Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of all time. It took Carter and his team 10 years to clear the contents of the tomb and among the objects found was a large collection of shoes and sandals. The Tutankhamun’s Footwear footwear is analysed here in detail for the first time since the discovery using Carter’s records and Harry Burton’s excellent photographs along with the author’s analyses of the objects, all of which are housed in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo and the Luxor Museum. Several specialists contributed to the volume discussing the different materials (gold, vegetable fibre, birch bark, glass and faience, leather, gemstones) that were used in the footwear. Tutankhamun’s footwear is compared with other finds in order to be able to put it in a broader context. The footwear from the tomb of Yuya and Tjuiu, the King’s great-grandparents, are, therefore, analysed as well. In addition to the analysis, footwear in texts and two- and three-dimensional art is considered. André J. Veldmeijer (assistant director for Egyptology at the Netherlands Flemish Institute Cairo) studied archaeology at Leiden University (The Netherlands) and received his PhD from Utrecht University (The Netherlands). He has worked in Egypt since 1995 as a leather, footwear and cordage specialist for various missons (including Amarna, Berenike, Dra’ Abu el-Naga, Elephantine, Hierakonpolis and Qasr Ibrim) and has also worked in several collections all over the world. Veldmeijer is the director of two ongoing research projects: Ancient Egyptian Leatherwork Project (including the Egyptian Museum Chariot Project) and Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (www.leatherandshoes.nl). Tutankhamun’s Footwear Veldmeijer is one of the founders and current chairman of the PalArch Foundation (www.PalArch.nl). André J. Veldmeijer Sidestone With contributions by ISBN 978-90-8890-076-1 Sidestone Press Alan J. Clapham, Erno Endenburg, Aude Gräzer, ISBN: 978-90-8890-076-1 Bestelnummer: SSP67280003 Fredrik Hagen, James A. Harrell, Mikko H. Kriek, Paul T. Tutankhamun Nicholson, Jack M. Ogden, Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood 693162830 9 789088 900761 This is an Open Access publication. Visit our website for more OA publication, to read any of our books for free online, or to buy them in print or PDF. www.sidestone.com Check out some of our latest publications: TUTANKHAMUN’S FOOTWEAR Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear André J. Veldmeijer With contributions by: Alan J. Clapham, Erno Endenburg, Aude Gräzer, Fredrik Hagen, James A. Harrell, Mikko H. Kriek, Paul T. Nicholson, Jack M. Ogden & Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood Sidestone Press 1 2 For my parents Antje Veldmeijer-Wagt (1940 - 1988) Marten Veldmeijer (1934-2011) © 2011 André J. Veldmeijer ISBN 978-90-8890-076-1 Published by Sidestone Press, Leiden www.sidestone.com Sidestone registration number: SSP67280003 Illustrations: Erno Endenburg & Mikko H. Kriek Cover design: Karsten Wentink, Sidestone Press CONTENTS Preface 9 Introduction 11 The Discovery of a Tomb 11 Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (AEFP) 11 Carter’s System of Excavating 15 Methodology 16 Layout 16 Chapter 1 Context 19 Chapter 2 Preservation and Conservation 35 Chapter 3 Description 43 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Sandals 44 3.2.1 Sewn Sandals Type C 47 3.2.1.1 Variant 1 47 3.2.1.2 Variant 2 80 3.2.2 Sewn Sandals Type D (Imitations) 86 3.2.2.1 Variant 1 87 3.2.2.2 Variant 2 95 3.2.2.3 Variant 3 107 3.3 Open Shoes 109 3.3.1 Type: Partial Upper, Leather and Beadwork; 109 Variant: Sewn Sandal Strap Complex / Foot strap 3.3.2 Type: Partial Upper, Leather and Beadwork; 121 Variant: Foot strap / Instep Strap 3.3.3 Partial Upper, Leather; 130 Variant: Front Strap / Toe band / Foot Strap / Instep Strap 3.4 Not Kept Objects 138 3.5 Additional Observations 139 3.5.1 Size 139 3.5.2 Use and Wear 139 3.6 Comparison 142 5 Contents Chapter 4 The Materials 145 4.1 Organic Materials 145 4.1.1 Fibres (André J. Veldmeijer) 145 4.1.2 The Presence of Silver Birch (Betula pendula Roth) (Alan J. Clapham) 146 4.1.3 Leather (André J. Veldmeijer) 147 4.2 Inorganic Materials 148 4.2.1 Glass and Faience (Paul T. Nicholson) 149 4.2.2 Gemstones (James A. Harrell) 149 4.2.2.1 Identification in the Footwear 149 4.2.2.2 Origin 149 4.2.2.3 Foreign 150 4.2.2.4 Manufacturing of Gemstone Beads and Inlays 150 4.2.3 Gold (Jack M. Ogden) 151 4.2.3.1 Introduction 151 4.2.3.2 Goldwork in Ancient Egypt 152 4.2.3.3 The Gold in the Tomb of Tutankhamun 153 4.2.3.4 The Gold in the Footwear 153 4.2.3.5 The Technology 155 Chapter 5 Socks (Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood) 165 5.1 Introduction 165 5.2 The Construction of the Socks 165 5.3 Socks Versus Gauntlets 167 5.4 Comparative Items 167 Chapter 6 Contemporary Footwear: A Survey 169 6.1 Introduction 169 6.2 Sandals 169 6.2.1 Yuya and Tjuiu 169 6.2.1.1 Sewn Sandals Type C 172 6.2.1.2 Sewn Sandals Type D (Imitations) 180 6.2.2 Nefertari 184 6.2.3 Amarna 187 6.2.4 Other Sandals 187 6.3 Shoes 187 Chapter 7 New Kingdom Sandals: A Philological Perspective (Fredrik Hagen) 193 7.1 Introduction 193 7.2 Lexicographic Typology and Material Culture 193 7.3 Symbolism and Ideology 198 7.4 Economic Role and Manufacture 198 6 Contents Chapter 8 Footwear in Late New Kingdom Art 205 8.1 Two-Dimensional Art 205 8.1.1 Manufacturing Footwear (André J. Veldmeijer) 205 8.1.2 The Identification of Depicted Footwear (André J. Veldmeijer) 207 8.1.3 Footwear in Domestic Indoor Spaces: An Incursion into Amarnian Iconography (Aude Gräzer) 208 8.1.3.1 Introduction 208 8.1.3.2 Footwear in Indoor Spaces 209 8.1.3.3 The Royal Couple 213 8.1.3.4 The Royal Children 218 8.1.3.5 Dignitaries 220 8.1.4 Footwear Outside Domestic Areas: Some Remarks 221 (André J. Veldmeijer) 8.2 Three-Dimensional Art (André J. Veldmeijer) 224 Chapter 9 Discussion 225 9.1 Typology 225 9.2 Philology 228 9.3 Art 228 9.4 Revision of Previous Work 228 9.5 Non-Fibre Footwear: Foreign and Unique? 229 9.6 Status 230 9.7 Finally 231 Notes 233 Bibliography 251 Appendices I Abbreviations 265 I.A Abbreviations Used in Chapter 7 265 I.B Other Abbreviations 266 II Glossary 266 III Concordances 270 III.A Footwear Tutankhamun 270 III.A.1 Carter’s Number 270 III.A.2 Exhibition Number 271 III.A.3 Special Registry Number 272 III.A.4 Temporary Number 274 III.A.5 JE Number 275 III.B Footwear Yuya and Tjuiu 276 III.B.1 JE Number 276 III.B.2 CG Number 277 III.B.3 Special Registry Number 277 IV Tables 279 Index 302 Authors 309 7 PREFACE The study of archaeological footwear start- tovich, Klaus Finneiser, Elizabeth Goring, ed in 2004 and includes several collections, Jac. J. Janssen, Barry Kemp, Hugh Kilmister, as will be explained in the introduction. Josephine Kuckertz, Lesley-Ann Liddiard, Ever since the start, the project grew con- Barbara Magen, Jaromir Malek, Frank Ma- tinuously and the study of the many objects rohn, Geoffrey Metz, Gillian Pyke, Stephen has only been possible due to the kind col- Quirke, Maarten Raven, Pamela Rose, Betti- laboration of many colleagues. na Schmitz, Jeffrey Spencer, Raymond Tin- I am grateful to Dr Zahi Hawass and the del, Eleni Vassilika and Helen Whitehouse. Supreme Council of Antiquities for permis- Christine Lilyquist was so kind to send sion to access the footwear collection in the me her photographs of the sandals on Tiu- Egyptian Museum, Cairo and Luxor Muse- ju’s feet; I benefited much from these and um, Luxor. I thank Dr Wafaa El Saddik of the accompanying notes and discussion. I the Egyptian Museum, Cairo and the mu- also benefitted from discussion about the seum authorities (Mokhtar Abdu, Nariman more specific purpose of thetomb with Sal- Abd El Fatah Azab, Ibrahim Abdel Gwad, ima Ikram; fortunately, she was so kind to Abeia Elshamy, Hala Hassan, Nesma Ismail, write the two first paragraphs of chapter 1. Zienab Tawfik) and Dr Samaa Ahmed Ali of Furthermore, I thank Mikko Kriek for the Luxor Museum for their nice collabora- his artist impressions and reconstructions tion. and Adri ’t Hooft and Erno Endenburg for I also thank the authorities of the vari- photographing. Erno is also thanked for ous other collections that allowed me to his technical drawings and assistance in study material under their care: Ägyptisch- the field. The Netherlands-Flemish Insti- es Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin tute Cairo (NVIC) is acknowledged for their – Ashmolean Museum, Oxford – British invaluable help. The Griffith Institute, Ox- Museum, London – Metropolitan Museum ford, has been extremely helpful and I am of Arts, New York – Museo Egizio, Turin indebted to them for allowing me to pub- – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – National lish the Burton photographs. Museum of Antiquities, Leiden – National The Michela Schiff Giorgini Founda- Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh – Oriental tion has partially funded the research in Institute Museum, Chicago – Petrie Museum the Egyptian Museum, Cairo; other collec- of Egyptian Archaeology UCL, London – Ro- tions have been visited due to funding by emer- und Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim The Netherlands Organization for Scientif- – Sammlung des Ägyptologischen Instituts ic Research (NWO) and Fam.