A Bulb of Narcissus on the Egyptian Mummy from University of Wrocław Collection

Autor: Krzysztof Borysławski, Anna Niwińska, Andrzej Niwiński, Agnieszka Tomaszewska, Krystyna Wasylikowa, Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz | Strony: 111–122 | DOI: 10.12775/EtudTrav.31.006

Streszczenie

The object of the present study is the ancient bulb of the narcissus found on the mummy, probably of the Ptolemaic period, brought to Wrocław from Italy in the sixteenth century AD. For about four hundred years the mummy was kept by the successive owners of one of pharmacies in Wrocław, and after the World War II became the possession of Wrocław University. Computed tomography made in 2002 revealed an atypical object lying under the left hand of the mummy. Extracted in 2004 it appeared to be the bulb of a flower, and botanical analysis has revealed that it represents the Narcissus tazetta L. species. Although the narcissus was known in Egypt, its identification in the ancient sources has never been attempted. Thanks to the analysis of the bio-medical properties of the narcissus, compared with some descriptions of remedies proposed by the medical papyri Ebers and Hearts, as well as with some religious magical texts an identification of the sennut plant with narcissus is proposed here.

Bibliografia

Bardinet, T. 1995: Les papyrus médicaux de l’Égypte pharaonique, Paris

Borysławski, K. 2009: Badanie mumii egipskiej z wykorzystaniem tomografi i komputerowej, [in:] Dzieduszycki, W., Wrzesiński, J. (Eds), Metody. Źródła. Dokumentacja, Funeralia Lednickie 11, Poznań, 199–203

Chegaing Fodouop, S.P., Tagne Simo, R., Mbo Amvene, J., Talla, E., Seke Etet, P.F., Takam, P., Nwabo Kamdje, A.H., Muller, J.-M. 2015: Bioactivity and Therapeutic Potential of Plant Extracts in Cancer and Infectious Diseases, Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants I/1, 8–18

Daressy, G. 1907: Cercueils des prêtres d’Ammon (Deuxième Trouvaille de Deir el-Bahari), ASAE VIII, 3–38

Drenkhahn, R., Germer, R. 1991: Mumie und Computer: Ein multidisziplinäres Forschungsprojekt in Hannover, Hannover

Germer, R. 1988: Katalog der altägyptischen Pflanzenreste der Berliner Museen, Wiesbaden

Germer, R. 1998: Neue Ansätze zur Identifi zierung altägyptischer Heilpflanzen (habilitation lecture on 28. 04. 1998), Hamburg

Geßler-Löhr, B. 1998: Mumia vera aegyptiaca im Abendland, [in:] Fitzenreiter, M., Loeben, C.E. (Eds), Die ägyptische Mumie, ein Phänomen der Kulturgeschichte, IBAES 1, London, 109–110

Granville, A.B. 1825: An Essay on Egyptian Mummies, with Observations on the Art of Embalming among the Ancient Egyptians, PTRS, London, 269–316

Gray, P.H.K. 1972: Notes concerning the position of arms and hands of mummies with a view to possible dating of the specimen, JEA 58, 200–204

Gryphius, A. 1662: Mumiae Wratislavienses, Wrocław

Ikram, S., Dodson, A. 1998: The Mummy in Ancient Egypt. Equipping the Dead for Eternity, London

Jin, Z. 2013: Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids, [in:] Ramawat, K.G., Mérillon, J.-M. (Eds), Natural Products – Phytochemistry, Botany and Metabolism of Alkaloids, Phenolics and Terpenes, Heidelberg, 479–522

Kaczmarek, M., Schweitzer, A., Godziejewski, Z., Pannenko, I. 2008: The Upper Necropolis II: Studies and photographic documentation, Ed. Myśliwiec, K., Saqqara III, Varsovie

Kornienko, A., Evidente, A. 2008: Chemistry, Biology and Medicinal Potential of Narciclasine and Its Congeners, Chemical reviews 108/6, 1982–2014

Layer-Lescot, M. 1985: Feuilles et fleurs, [in:] Balout, D., Roubet, C. (Eds), La momie de Ramsès II, Paris, 182–195

Myśliwiec, K., Herbich, T., Niwiński, A. 1995: Polish Research at Saqqara in 1987, EtudTrav XVII, 177–203

Naville, E. 1910: La plante de Horbéit, ASAE X, 191–192

Naville, E. 1916: La plante de Horbéit II, ASAE XVI, 187–190

Naville, E. 1927: La plante magique de Neferatum, Revue de l’Égypte Ancienne 1, 31–44

Niwiński, A. 1998: Some unusual amulets found on the Late Period mummies in Warsaw and Cracow, [in:] Clarysse, W., Schoors, A., Willems, H. (Eds), Egyptian Religion, the last thousand years I. Studies dedicated to the memory of Jan Quaegebeur, Leuven, 179–190

Pettigrew, T. 1834: History of Egyptian Mummies, London

Radomska, M., Kowalska, A., Kaczmarek, M., Rzeuska, T.I with contributions by Kopp, E., Kuraszkiewicz, K.O., Winnicki, J.K. 2008: The Upper Necropolis I: The Catalogue, Saqqara III, Ed. Myśliwiec, K., Varsovie

Saad, B., Said, O. 2011: Greco-Arab and Islamic Herbal Medicine. Traditional system, ethics, safety, efficacy, and regulatory issues, Hoboken-New Jersey

Schweinfurth, G. 1884: Der Blumenschmuck ägyptischer Mumien, Die Gartenlaube 38, Leipzig, 628–630

Smith, G.E. 1912: The Royal Mummies. Catalogue Général des Antiquités Égyptiennes du Musée du Caire Nos 61051–61100, Cairo

Śliwa, J. 2012: Andreas Gryphius (1616–1664) i mumie egipskie we Wrocławiu, [in:] Śliwa, J., Badacze, kolekcjonerzy, podróżnicy, Cracow, 365–380

Täckholm, V., Drar, M. 1973: Flora of Egypt 3, Königstein im Taunus Tomaszewska, A., Żelaźniewicz, A., Borysławski, K. 2012: Mumia na receptę, Wiedza i Życie 2/926, 58–61

Urbanik, A., Chrzan, R., Wojciechowski, W., Szymańska, H., Babraj, K., Czubak, A. 2001: Badanie radiologiczne mumii egipskich – doświadczenia własne, Polski Przegląd Radiologii 66, 79–83

Urbanik, M., Rzepiela, A. 2002: Mumia cenniejsza niż złoto, Farmacja polska 58, 572–579