- 6 — 
At the period called by Egyptologists the "New Empire" — 
from the 17th to the 20th dynasties inclusive — it was customary 
to remove the viscera from the body and place them after 
treatment with preservative materials in four vessels commonly 
known at présent as "Canopic Jars." This we know from the 
examination of the bodies and the contents of the Jars. So far 
as is known thèse Jars were never used for any purpose other 
than the réception of the viscera. Hence the fact that Canopic 
Jars containing linen parcels which are said to enclose viscera ^ 
h-àve been found in tombs of the llth and 12th dynasties seems 
to point to the conclusion that the organs were removed from the 
body cavity at this period, presumably with the view of preserving 
both the body and the parts removed ; or, at any rate, of hindering 
the processes of putréfaction by removing those parts of the body 
which expérience had shown to be most prone to décompose. 
M. Maspero permitted me to examine the contents of some of 
the Canopic Jars of this period in the Cairo Muséum. On 
removing the linen wrappings I found a dirty résinons mass. 
Dr. Schmidt was unable to recognise anything in this mass other 
than resin such as was employed in the new Empire for the 
préservation of the body. The présence of such resin would be 
inexplicable if we do not admit that the viscera were originally 
contained in the parcels. 
The excavations conducted by M. de Morgan at Dashûr in 
1894 brought to light a séries of royal tombs of the 12th dynasty 
containing human remains and some of the séries of Canopic Jars 
now in the Cairo Muséum. Dr. Fouquet furnished a report on 
thèse human remains which was published along with the archae- 
ological record of the excavations.^ M. Maspero has recently 
^ George Reisnee, " Tke Dated Caiwpic Jars ni the Gheh Muaeum, Auszug aus der 
Zeitsehrift fur Agyptische Bprache, XXXVIII, Band, p. 3. 
2 J. De Morgan, FuuiUes à Dahchoiir, Vienna, 1895. 
