European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 2, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Uncovered Heads remain mystery to egyptology Sosby Mimi Mann the associated press the beautifully crafted Limestone Heads Honor High officials of the pharaohs courts. Egyptology its have Given them a name Quot Reserve Heads Quot but have not Learned their purpose. No. 36 was found in december in an ancient cemetery South of the Sphinx on the Giza plateau. The Heads Are precursors of the bust portraits of ancient Rome. They became popular As an Art form and vanished in the 70 years it took for the three Giza pyramids to Rise from the desert Sands. Almost All the Heads were found in burial shafts or in tombs alongside the pyramids they Are divided among museums in Cairo Boston and Berkeley Calif. That no. 36 was exactly where it should t have been carelessly tossed into a burial ground for Middle class artisans and foremen adds another twist to the Puzzle. It is 5 inches High with a 3-Inch neck and ears that measure 1 inches and of particular interest to egyptology its because the ears Are intact. Only one other in Boston s museum of Fine arts still has both ears. Quot usually the left ear is missing or Cut Quot said Mansour Baurain an inspector for the egyptian antiquities organization. Quot one theory is that the left ears were Cut off to prevent the deceased from hearing bad things said by the gods. We Don t  the Heads have a hauntingly similar look but the carving is so detailed they seem to be actual portraits. They Bear no inscriptions and few have been linked with certainty to a particular person. Most Are thought to represent important personalities in the courts of pharaohs Cheops and Chepren the father and son who built the two grandest Giza pyramids. Their reigns ended in 2494 . Baurain who is in charge of excavating ancient Egypt s first Middle class cemetery said he had no doubt Reserve head 36 was mislaid. Quot obviously it was t a part of any burials Here Quot he said. Zahi harass antiquities director of the pyramids area believes the nature of the cemetery May explain the mystery. Quot these people were artisans craftsmen who decorated tombs and carved statues for the King Quot he said. Quot maybe one of them took the head Home from the Royal workshop and just forgot about it. Or it was a Model the artist just threw away when he did t need it  Reserve Heads Bear a Strong resemblance to portraits on Tomb Walls at Giza. They have straight noses with delicately worked eyes and Mouths. The Short hair is cropped close at the neck resembling a Skullcap. The figures Are Cut off at the base of the neck allowing them to stand unaided and May have stood atop the sarcophagus. Some egyptology its argue that the heati., were simply models for grander statues. This theory holds that ears often fell off because of rough handling by grave robbers or because they were weaker than the facial area. Others like harass hold that Reserve Heads were just that kept in Reserve in Case the natural head decayed Over the centuries. By that reasoning the Heads would the busts have been matted Quot Reserve Heads Quot have had major religious significance for officials seeking eternal life. Harass believes they were carved As a Way to bypass Cheops dictum that Only gods and pharaohs who appointed themselves As the Sun god a qualified for statues. He feels Reserve Heads became substitutes for statues a Way for the soul to recognize the deceased even if his own head did t survive in the Early Days of mummification. Quot when the soul came out to receive offerings in the Tomb Quot he said Quot it could find the right