Gold, Lapis Lazuli, and Authority in Egypt’s 26th Dynasty This funerary assemblage represents one of the finest examples of elite burial practices from Egypt’s Late Period, dating to the 26th Dynasty. The mummy of Heka-em-sa-ef was wrapped in embroidered linen and covered with a gilded mask, accompanied by elaborate beadwork bands and a broad collar composed of eight rows of beads, terminating in golden falcon heads—symbols of royal protection. Below the collar appears the goddess Nut, depicted