A magnificent silver bowl in the form of a pomegranate fruit, and another smaller one in ivory were included in the tomb contents.
A silver bowl in the form a pomegranate fruit, found in Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Almond stones Prunus dulcis from Tutankhamun's tomb, now at Kew.
A branch from the almond tree Prunus dulcis.
The pomegranate was no longer a novelty in Egypt at the time of Tutankhamun, since it had been introduced from the southern Caspian Sea region earlier in the 18 th Dynasty, if not before. Its fresh leaves were included in a wreath 38 cm (15 in) long, together with willow leaves, and also in the elaborate floral collar with many other species (see p 9).
The pomegranate is an attractive plant that grows with several stems to form a rounded bush or small tree to about the height of a man. As a deciduous plant, it is leafless during the winter, and the rather narrow leathery leaves appear late in the spring. Flowering takes place in the hot season, when the scarlet flowers are large and brilliant. As the round fruits develop, the enlarged calyx persists on top. When ripe the hard rind is tinged pink, yellow and purple and it has long been used for dyeing leather. Inside the fruit are numerous seeds, each enclosed in white watery pulp refreshing to eat in the heat of summer.
In the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut’s butler, Djehuty - dating from about 1470 BC - there is a large dry pomegranate together with gifts of flowers and other fruits. Pomegranates in bas-relief appear on the walls of Tuthmosis Ill’s temple at Karnak dating from about 1450 BC, along with plants seen in Western Asia during his campaigns. It was in the same region that the Israelites used the form of the pomegranate to ornament the hem of the priestly robes (Exodus 28:33-34) and later to decorate the capitals of the pillars of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7:20). As the pomegranate became more popular in Egypt its occurence in tombs and as models increased in frequency.
World History
