New discoveries at West Aswan: cartonnages and human remains from the necropolis of Aga Khan III

The goal of this presentation is to provide an overview of the activities of EIMAWA, a joint mission of the University of Milan and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in the necropolis located near the mausoleum of the Aga Khan III, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to the modern city of Aswan. We will focus on human remains and on a type of artifact, called cartonnages, found in a single burial site (AGH026) that our team has been excavating starting February 2019 and that is still being studied. The discovery is relevant given the unique anthropological and archaeological context. In fact, the tomb presents an hypogeal structure accessible by a descending staircase that leads to two different sized chambers. A distinctive feature of both chambers is the presence of various objects and commingled human remains both mummified and skeletonized. In this presentation, we will talk of current research data concerning the analysis of mummies. The data are the result of both the study of cartonnages (from a stylistic point of view, with the goal of dating the various artifacts) and the analysis of human remains. In particular, we want to draw your attention to the need for collaboration between anthropologists and archaeologists to pursue a true holistic study of AGH026. At the time of discovery, the burial site showed signs of theft and remodeling that had occurred in antiquity. Therefore, the archeological finds were in a precarious state of preservation, and the need for immediate restoration was instantly apparent. This is true for the cartonnages, the preservation of which requires precise care. The cartonnages found in both chambers of the tomb consist of layers of linen joined together using adhesive substances. They were stuccoed and geometric, floral and brightly coloured decorations depicting funerary scenes were painted on them. Among the best-preserved specimens we can see a helmet with a winged scarab, a usekh breastplate and three covers for feet, as well as fragments of gilded funerary masks. Based on the decorations and the type of colours used, it was possible to date the cartonnages of AGH026 to the Ptolemaic-Roman period, as confirmed by the discovery of pottery of the same period. The anthropological analyses were carried out in situ. The team started by identifying the minimum number of individuals, then biological profiles were drawn up from osteological remains. One of the most important findings is the presence of a high number of subadults, and the different deposition mode. We had the opportunity to take X-rays of selected remains using a portable X-ray instrument. The materials from this tomb were then compared with those from chronologically related necropolis, such as Douch, Kellis and Nubia. The final purpose of this presentation is to show how the joint analysis of the cartonnages and human remains may help finding an answer to the following questions: firstly, what social class did the individuals buried in the site belong to? Secondly, why did so many subadults have been buried together?