Coffins & sarcophagi

Coffins & sarcophagi

 Most of o our material for r the study of ancient egypt   derives from tombs. Coffins and sarcophagi  are  thus among  the commonest antiquities   though this some  what somber aspect of  Egyptology is brightened by their  often very  attractive appearance. The terms coffin and sarcophagus   are used by some as  tough they  were interchangeable : here they denote chests made of wood and stone (limestone  granite basalt) respectively , regard less of shape. Each consists  of   the lid  and lower part   and the lowers  part (case )

Coffins were often placed inside  a sarcophagus, and we find whole sets of them (inner & outer) or 1^st, 2^nd& 3^rd, though sometimes only  a mummy  board (another lid)

 Was placed on top of mummy. a third type of material, particularly common during the 3^rd intermediate and Greco- roman periods was cartonnage(the term is also conveniently used  in the same way as coffin  or sarcophagus  )

 This was made by successive application of linen (papyrus in the Greco roman period )  glue& gesso around a model mummy  and painting it with bright water colors coffins and sarcophagi are of 2 basic forms: rectangular& anthropoid  but only the latter is known in cartonnage

 Anthropoid coffins appeared in the middle kingdom as natural extensions of the earlier mummy – masks covering the upper part of the mummy.

 Decoration varies according to date. Some of the coffins of the early dynasty period have a palace façade as do sarcophagi of the old kingdom. In the 1^st intermediate  period and the middle  kingdom the interior of rectangular coffins was often inscribed  with   the coffin texts and there    were  also  representations of  various items of funerary equipment’s and   an offering list anthropoid rishi coffins named for  decoration imitating feathered wings of a goddess probably isis or nephthys , protecting  the body are characteristic of the 7^th dynasty while, white coffins with bands  suggesting mummy bandages were common in the 18^th dynasty

. for the rest  of the new kingdom  and  later  the tendency was to increase the  amount of decoration by adding  amount of decoration  by adding small scenes with various deities and texts rectangular coffins and sarcophagi became rare &  enjoyed a limited revival toward the  end of the late period. The perfection of the late period. The perfection of workmanship and finish of anthropoid sarcophagi of the late period are justly famous they were made of a dark hard stone, usually basalt but there were also imitations in wood. The decorations in wood.

The decoration& inscriptions  on coffins and sarcophagi of the late and  Greco roman periods drew their inspiration from  religious  texts  and their vignettes, including the  book of the dead the pyramid texts and   under world books the out side of  the lid was often inscribed with chapter 72 of the book  of the dead , the spell for going forth by day and penetrating the nether world.