Celtic Empire (Dirk Pitt 25)

“Just what we hoped for, having found it at Amarna. Can you decipher the hieroglyphics?”

Max wrinkled her nose. “It appears to be a fragmentary piece from a larger slab or monument. Absent the full text, I can translate only the visible glyphs, which are somewhat inconclusive. As you can see, there are two sections of hieroglyphics. On the left, we have symbols in an upright oval. This is a standard cartouche, which typically signifies a royal name. In this instance, we have Princess Meritaten, the eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife, Nefertiti.”

“Was she buried at Amarna?” Zeibig asked.

“No. A surviving boundary stela—or marker—in Amarna describes tombs having been prepared for Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Meritaten, but they were never used. The mummy of Akhenaten has only recently been identified as the likely occupant of tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings near Thebes. No tomb or mummy has been found of Meritaten,” Max said, “which may be explained by the stone’s other inscription.”

“Go on,” Hiram said.

“The second section indicates it’s an homage or appeasement to the god Aten, in memory of the Pharaoh and others who died in Amarna from the tainted waters of the Nile. Princess Meritaten, absent from her father at his death, is condemned for providing aid to someone named Osa. Or at least that is the first part of his name, as the stone is fractured there. Th

at’s all I can decipher from the visible glyphs.”

“That’s pretty dramatic,” Summer said. “I was expecting something more on the order of ‘King Tut Slept Here.’”

“That is an important note about Akhenaten dying from a river illness,” Zeibig said.

“It seems to relate to the mural and what Dr. Stanley said about a plague,” Dirk said. “Let’s see what Max can make of the tomb mural. Hiram, can you flip through a few more of Rod’s photos?”

Several dark photos appeared on the screen.

“There, stop at that one,” Zeibig said. “That’s the best shot of the entire mural before it was shot up. Max, what can you tell us about this image?”

Max seemed to squint at the video board as the computers in the back room processed the image with silent efficiency.

“Based on a comparison with other Egyptian burial sites, it relates to the tomb itself,” Max said. “There is a depiction of the deceased, a young boy, on a journey to the afterlife. A request is made, through the Pharaoh, that the Aten watch over the child on his journey to the afterlife.”

“That was Dr. Harrison Stanley’s interpretation,” Summer said. “He indicated that the image on the right depicts a royal daughter imparting something called the Apium of Faras before fleeing Egypt.”

“Yes, that is my translation of the hieroglyphic panel as well. The image appears to show dying children along the Nile, behind the royal daughter.”

“Is any other information apparent?” Dirk asked.

The portion of the mural was instantly enlarged on the video board behind Max. Though her back was to the screen, she relayed the information as if she had studied the image.

“There are two small inscriptions faintly visible under enlargement,” she said. “The woman on the boat passing the bag ashore has a cartouche on her bracelet.” She hesitated as the photo enlarged again and focused on her wrist. “The hieroglyphics on the cartouche read ‘Meritaten.’”

“Meritaten again, as on the tablet,” Summer said, surprise in her voice. “Is there any identification on the two men near her?”

“None that can be seen. Their attire is that commonly depicted on laborers.”

“This Princess Meritaten seems to have had a notable presence in Amarna,” Zeibig said.

“Max,” Hiram said, “you indicated you found two small inscriptions. What was the second?”

“It is a marking on the bag carried by Meritaten,” Max said. “It is labeled ‘Faras.’”

“The Apium of Faras,” Dirk said. “Does that mean anything to you, Max?”

“There are references to it as a powerful curative. Faras was an administrative center in the Nubian region of Upper Egypt. An important temple existed in the city, contained within a walled fortress. The priests of Faras were known for their medicinal powers. King Tutankhamun dedicated a shrine to them and their famed herbal medicine. In later centuries, an important Christian cathedral was built in the city, which was excavated in the 1960s before the area was flooded by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.”

“Was the Tutankhamun shrine removed before the flooding, like some of the other Egyptian monuments?”

“No, the temple and its shrine were not recovered ahead of the flooding, presumably due to their deteriorated condition.”

“Max, would you have a precise location of the temple?” he asked.

“Yes, I can interpolate from the report of a British excavation performed there in 1903.” She provided a GPS coordinate. “Just watch out for crocodiles.”