NEWS of the possible return of mummy, Peten-Amun, currently displayed at the Durban Natural Science Museum, to Egypt holds special significance for Durban North resident, Sandy Day.
Day was the promotion consultant and fashion stylist for ‘Project Mummy’ in 1990, which at the time was sanctioned by the museum to generate interest in the artefact and to unveil facial reconstruction work done by Doctor Bill Aulsebrook.
Aulsebrook, who has a PhD in forensic facial reconstruction, carried out a reconstruction of Peten-Amun’s face using Computerised Axial Tomography (CAT) scan taken at the King Edward VIII Hospital.
“Doctor Aulsebrook, on a visit to the museum, saw the mummy lying in his coffin and wondered what his face looked like. He was in a unique position because he had completed his PhD in forensic facial reconstruction and that’s how ‘Project Mummy’ was born. I was involved in the promotion of Peten-Amun and I linked it to a fashion presentation with several models,” Day explained.
Related story: No decision made on Durban mummy’s return to Egypt
“I was able to make several outfits, headdresses and jewellery associated with that time period which the models wore in the fashion presentation before the unveiling of Peten-Amun’s bust. I even used bandages, like those wrapped around mummies to make a few dresses for the models involved. It worked out magnificently as we used the main staircase to the museum which I, along with the other attendees at the event felt ransported back in time,” she said.
Day also arranged for the transportation of Peten-Amun from the museum to King Edward VIII Hospital.
“I actually arranged for a white hearse from Johannesburg to take Peten-Amun to the hospital and I had organised for six police officers on motorbikes to drive alongside the hearse to get him there. A CAT scan was taken at the hospital in Durban and plastic templates were made from the individual sectional images. The templates were then assembled to form a three-dimensional construction of the skull. Using this reconstructed skull, Doctor Aulsebrook was able to build up the facial musculature features. The bust was eventually displayed alongside the coffin and the mummy,” she said.
The Lytnon Place resident said she would be saddened if a decision was reached to return the Mummy to Egypt.
“Personally it would be a sad day for the City. We’ve looked after him for so long, I think he has been in the museum’s care since the late 1890s. If a decision is made to return Peten-Amun to Egypt, the bust that Doctor Aulsebrook worked on would not have the same significance without the mummy alongside it in the display. We need to keep history alive for our future generations,” she said.
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