Roman Period human mummy
- Gallery: Room 62
- Culture: Roman Period
- Date: 100-120 (circa)
- Object type: human mummy, mummy-wrapping, shroud
- Materials: human tissue; linen; wood; organic
- Museum number: EA6707
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a Roman Period human mummy, believed to be Cleopatra, daughter of Candace, from a prominent family in Thebes. The young woman, about 17 years old when she died, lies wrapped in layers of thick bandages and a painted shroud. The shroud shows her as the goddess Nut, flanked by Isis, Nephthys, and Anubis—key figures in ancient Egyptian funerality art. These deities symbolized protection and passage to the afterlife.
She lies within the remains of a wooden coffin, with small objects nearby: a comb, berries, and a little cushion. These items suggest customs and personal touches from Roman Egyptian burial practices.
Notice the detailed wrapping and the traces of resin-like material that helped preserve the body. Her teeth and skull are well preserved, allowing study of dental health and age.
This mummy offers a glimpse into funerary rituals that blended Egyptian traditions with Roman influence around the early second century.
See it in person
Roman Period human mummy is on display in Room 62 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
