The "body coffins" of Nakht-Ankh and Khnum-Nakht were painted different colors on their faces. Khnum-Nakht's face was painted yellow and Nakht-Ankhs face was painted black. But that is just the reverse of the racial labels applied by Murray-David et al as Khnum-Nakht was identified as "Negroid" and Nakht-Ankh as "non Negroid." So the answer to the question is yes the colors on the body coffins meant something other than race.

For a detailed discussion of these two 'brothers' and their tomb contents see my article: “The Eunuch & the Wab Priest,” Kmt 16:1, spring 2005.

Some scholars do not accept that the statuettes (the small statues that were found inside the coffins) were misnamed or confused but David is sticking to her story in her new book: The Two Brothers: Death and the Afterlife in Middle Kingdom Egypt.


My in-depth review of David's new work will be in the next issue of KMT, Spring 2008.


Greg Reeder