Report by :Uzzal Hossan Khan from Cairo.
The head of a statue of King Senusert I arrived safely to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) at Remaya Square from the antiquities storehouse at Salaheddin Citadel in Salah Salem for restoration and conservation as it will be among the objects on display at the museum.
Dr. Tarek Tawfik General Supervisor of the GEM explains that the head is carved in red granite and has the artistic features of the Middle Kingdom. The head has the facial features of king Senusert I wearing the head-dress which lost some of its parts.
The statue’s royal beard is also found but separated from the head.
Dr. Ayman Ashmawy, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector pointed out that the head was discovered in 2005 by an Egyptian-German Mission working in Mattarya site. It measures 122 cmx108 cm, with height 75 cm, and weight about 2 tons. The beard was discovered separated from the head in 2008, about 10 meters away from the location where the head was discovered.
EissaZidan General Director of the First Aid Restoration Department at the GEM said that the restoration team and archaeologists have used the latest technology in the packing and transportation of the head and beard as they used wooden beams to settle the objects on and hydraulic crane for lifting.
He continues that the head and beard are now at the GEM conservation centre for restoration, study, examination, analysis and documentation and a three-dimensional imaging technique will be used to illustrate the suggested methods to fix the head to the beard.