The Three foreign Wives of Thutmosis III

The MET has a very large collection of objects from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of the Three foreign Wives of Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣. These women 𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 were named Menhet 𓐝𓂟𓈖𓉔𓏏𓇿𓏐𓁐, Menwi 𓅓𓂟𓏌𓍯𓇋𓁐, and Merti 𓅓𓂟𓃭𓍘𓇋𓁐 and were buried in an undecorated tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 located near Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖. The country of origin of these women 𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 is unknown.

This gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 has a falcon 𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄 head on each end. While this piece is dated to the New Kingdom (18th Dynasty c. 1479–1425 B.C.E.), broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 have been used to adorn mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 since the Old Kingdom (c. 2649 B.C.E.). Broad Collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 were the necklace of choice amongst the elites and the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹.

The Vulture Pectoral is also most likely from the same tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 as the broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 pictured. Vultures are common funerary symbols and are usually associated with the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟. Nekhbet 𓇑𓃀𓏏𓅐𓎟 was usually depicted as a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 with the head 𓁶𓏤 of a vulture. She is the patron goddess 𓊹𓏏 of Upper Egypt 𓇑 (hence why her name has the “𓇑” symbol for upper Egypt) and was also tasked with protecting 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 royal women 𓀻𓋴𓏏𓁐.