What was sarcophagus made of

The inside floor of the coffin was painted with Nut, Isis, Osiris, or the Djed pillar Osiris's backbone. The sides bore the four sons of Horus and other deities. Horizontal inscriptions gave not only the owner's name and titles, but also a prayer for offerings. Vertical inscriptions were prayers to the divinities on behalf of the deceased. During the Middle Kingdom anthropoid coffins appeared.

These were coffins carved to the outline of the mummy's body and decorated with the face and wig of the deceased. They not only copied the mummy's form, but they also served as substitute bodies in case the mummy's body was lost or destroyed. As time went on, anthropoid coffins were decorated with an increasing number of scenes and inscriptions. Around BCE rishi coffins were popular in the city of Thebes. These coffins were distinctive because the bodies portrayed on the front were covered with feathers from shoulders to feet.

These feathers represented the wings of Isis and Nephthys. During the New Kingdom, coffins and mummy cases could be purchased ready-made. Once purchased, the owner's name and titles could be filled in the blanks left in the inscriptions.

The ready-made mummy cases were created by molding the container around disposable cores of mud and straw. Depending on the period and the wealth of the individual, it was fashionable to be buried in either one, two, or three different coffins. Multiple coffins would be nested one inside the other. Egyptian Mummification. In addition to ancient Egypt, ancient Rome and Greece are also known for using sarcophagi. The carvings on the sarcophagi and the treasures within continue to surprise and delight historians and scientists, giving insight into ancient cultures.

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You cannot download interactives. Egypt was a vast kingdom of the ancient world. It was unified around B. Today Egyptologists, archaeologists who focus on this ancient civilization, have learned a great deal about the rulers, artifacts, and customs of ancient Egypt.

Use these resources to teach your students about the ancient Egyptians. Pharaohs were the heads of state and religious leaders of ancient Egypt. Artifacts include tools, clothing, and decorations made by people.

They provide essential clues for researchers studying ancient cultures. Egyptian coffins were not made to represent what the dead person actually looked like, but instead were meant to represent the god the deceased hoped to become once he passed into the Afterlife. The Sesekh-nofru coffin has the crossed arms, headdress and false beard typical of Egyptian royalty. This coffin also depicts the Wreath of Righteousness around the deceased's head, which was given if the gods found the person worthy of eternal life.

This coffin also depicts Osiris, with outstretched wings, across the body of the mummy - this depiction is meant to protect the deceased in their journey into the afterlife. The gold paint over nearly the entire body would indicate that Sesekh-nofru was very wealthy and powerful.

Bottom of Coffin , Unknown, ca. The large figure in the paintings on this coffin represents Osiris, who as the king of the dead is obviously a very important figure in Egyptian culture. This coffin also contains a depiction of the ba-soul and deities like Anubis and Horus in it's registers.

Anubis and Horus are there to protect Osiris and can be seen supporting his legs. Cartonnage is an inner coffin that mummies from around BC onwards were often given. It is made by linen stuck together with paste and coated in stucco. This one was made for a woman named Nehemsu. Cartonnages from the 22nd Dynasty often show gods in the shape of birds or with birdlike attributes. This cartonnage shows a falcon with a ram's head stretching it's wings over the body of the deceased and a sun disc is shown above it's head - which represents the nocturnal aspect of the sun god.

The winged sun disc below represents the diurnal aspect of the sun. Together these figures represent the cycle of day and night or life and death, which the deceased hopes to become a part of. Anthropoid Coffin , ca. This coffin again shows the nocturnal aspect of the sun god, who is stretching his wings over the body of the deceased for protection.