Lee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some objects appear to have been treated as
> expendable. I recall reading (though I cannot
> recall the source) that Theodore Davis was wont to
> tear apart ancient flower garlands (from the Tut
> burial cache?) at parties to show how strong they
> still were. Katherine, is this accurate, and do
> you by any chance know the source?

---

From The Complete Tutankhamun, Reeves stated, in talking about the contents of Tomb 54 (Tutankhamun cache pit of funerary meal), which included faded floral collars:

Davis' only use for the find was to demonstrate to guests [[b]at the excavation site - KGG[/b]], by tearing the papyrus collars to shreds before their eyes, how strong the material could be after 3,000 years. (Reeves 1990: 38-39)

Here's Wikipedia's image of the type of collar Davis was ripping up:



Note to moderator: from Wikipedia: This image is from Wikimedia Commons,
a database of 1,972,962 freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute.

I always shudder when I read about Davis' slipshod excavation attitudes and methods.

Reference:

Reeves, N. 1990. The Complete Tutankhamun: The King - The Tomb - The Royal Treasure. London: Thames and Hudson.

Katherine Griffis-Greenberg

Doctoral Candidate
Oriental Institute
Doctoral Programme in Oriental Studies [Egyptology]
Oxford University
Oxford, United Kingdom