Sarcophagus

Coffin of Pa-di-tu-Amun. Christies, 2019.

Coffin of Pa-di-tu-Amun

Although the coffin belongs to an Ancient Egyptian man named Pa-Di-Tu-Amun, the coffin lid was originally made for a female priestess, with the titles “mistress of the house, chantress of [Amun]”. The feminine quality of the art is still noticeable. Acquired in Egypt during the 1920s, by the Swedish scientist Olof Vilhelm Arrhenius, this Third...

Sarcophagus of Nectanebo II

Sarcophagus of Nectanebo II

The conglomerate sarcophagus of Nectanebo II was discovered after being used as a bath in the Attarin Mosque, the former Church of St Athanasius, in Alexandria, Egypt. Drill holes at the bottom of the coffin, used for drainage, had been installed and are still very noticeable. Unfortunately, due to it being used as a bath,...

Sarcophagus lid of Tjentwerethequa

Sarcophagus lid of Tjentwerethequa, “Priestess of Amun”

The Sarcophagus lid of Tjentwerethequa, “Priestess of Amun”. Third Intermediate period, Early 22nd Dynasty, c. 1000- 901 B.C. It is believed that Tjentwerethequa’s grandson, Lufenamun, a senior priest of Amun-Re, belonged to the priesthood entrusted with the reburial of Egypt’s ancient kings. Their sacred duty was to conceal the rulers of old within hidden caches,...

The Mummy of King Merenptah

The mummy of king Merenptah

The mummy of king Merenptah Rather similarly to the recently crowned King Charles III, Merenptah took the throne later in life. Merenptah became king when he was approximately 70 years of age due to outliving his older brothers. He was the son of Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great), who amazingly lived until...

Petamun and Penhorpabik, coffin and coffin lid for the two brothers

Petamun and Penhorpabik, coffin lid for the two brothers

Petamun and Penhorpabik, who lived and died around, c. 175-200 A.D., were young boys who shared the same father, a man named Amenope, but different mothers who are currently unknown. We know they were half brothers’ due to a papyrus scroll accompanying the pair at their burial, which may have been dedicated to the boys...

Sarcophagus of Pa-nehem-isis

Sarcophagus of Pa-nehem-isis

The sarcophagus of the priest Pa-nehem-isis [Pnehmêse] is a remarkable example from the Ptolemaic Period, with its large face and its profusion of inscriptions and images, covering the whole surface. The figures have been carved in the hard stone with great precision. The deceased is wearing the tripartite wig and a broad collar. No other...

sarcophagus lid of Ramesses III

Sarcophagus lid of Ramesses III

In the center of the lid of this sarcophagus, King Ramesses III is depicted as the god Osiris in mummy form. On his head he wears the Atef crown composed of ostrich feathers, a sun disk and a pair of ram’s horns. Emerging from his forehead is a uraeus, the royal symbol of protection. The king...

Mummy of King Seti I

Mummy of Seti I

Seti I is believed to have died at around 40–50 years old, based on studies of his mummy and historical records. His reign lasted approximately 11–15 years, c. 1290–1279 B.C. Seti I’s achievements spanned military, architectural, and administrative domains, setting the stage for the prosperity of his son and successor, Ramesses II (Ramesses the Great)....

Mummy of King Amenhotep II

Mummy of Amenhotep II

The French excavator Victor Loret found the mummy of Amenhotep II in 1898, still resting in his own sarcophagus in his tomb (KV35) in the Valley of the Kings. At that time, before the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, he was the only king whose mummy had survived the vicissitudes of continued robbery and...

Inside the burial chamber in the Pyramid of Unas decorated with Pyramid Texts, mid-24th century BC, Saqqara.

Pyramid Texts in the burial chamber of Unas

The sarcophagus chamber in the Pyramid of Unas; some of the Pyramid Texts can be seen written on the gable. The Pyramid Texts are the oldest religious writings known to exist. They were first recorded in the pyramid of Unas, last king of Egypt’s 5th Dynasty, and are called “Pyramid Texts” because they were carved...