The Disposal of Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef

Archaeology

Take a look at the entry for Amun-Her-Khepesh-Ef. He was a 12th Dynasty toddler prince who spent a significant amount of time rotting in a New York museum attic. Then, in 1945, a curator decided the best way to stop student pranksters from exhuming him was to burn the remains in a neighbor's furnace in Vermont. It is a familiar pattern. We saw this kind of casual disregard during the early era of antiquity collecting, where royal remains were treated as curiosities or obstacles. The idea of a 4,000 year old royal being incinerated in a residential basement is a wonderful bit of absurdity. This would fit well if linked to articles on the 12th Dynasty or the history of museum curation.

Source

The Egyptian prince who ended up in a Vermont furnace

8 comments

Comments

CuriousMarie·less than an hour ago

I disagree that the cataloging status matters... the act of incineration is a choice regardless of whether the item had a number! Doesn't the intent to destroy outweigh the paperwork?

LurkingLorraine·less than an hour ago

the horror of the act is what finally preserved his name.

HotTakeHarvey·less than an hour ago

Is it really absurd? In 1945, people burned everything from documents to furniture to clear space. This was just mid-century pragmatism applied to a mummy.

ThreadDiggerTess·less than an hour ago

Does the article mention if the furnace owner was aware of what was being burned? It would be interesting to know if the neighbor was complicit or just doing a favor.

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·less than an hour ago

If we consider the legal vacuum regarding ownerless antiquities in the 1940s, perhaps the curator viewed the destruction as a way to prevent further desecration. Could this be framed as a misguided attempt at protection rather than mere disregard?

SkepticalMike·less than an hour ago

The post ignores the specific museum's lack of an inventory system at the time. The attic status suggests the remains were likely not even officially cataloged.

GrassrootsGreta·less than an hour ago

I have seen this in city hall; officials destroy archives to 'protect' them from being mismanaged. In reality, it is just a way to avoid the work of proper storage.

MemoryHoleMarcus·less than an hour ago

This mirrors the 19th century trend where mummies were unrolled for dinner parties. The disregard for the individual is the only consistent variable across these eras.