Analysis: The Egyptian Coffin After Burial
Johanna Movassat
Art History
12 April 2012
The Egyptian Coffin After Burial As a child, ancient egyptian history was my escape. I would sit under my covers for hours reading books I had recently checked out from my city library about pharaohs, pyramids, and my favorite subject of all, Cleopatra. When visiting The Rosicrucian Museum of San Jose, I felt like a child agin. While touring the many different exhibits, I became more excited and interested one after another. After carefully reviewing over 4 pairs of artifacts, I chose to compare and contrast a predynastic box coffin and a Middle Kingdom coffin. The predynastic box coffin dates back to 3200 B.C.E and is not adorned with any after life offerings or scriptures, while the coffin of Lady …show more content…
It is small and put together with many different sized pieces of cedar wood. It is rectangular in shape and has a lid that keeps it closed. The discovery of the coffin is quite interesting, it was discovered in the city of Tar-khan in a cemetery chamber that was sealed off. Early coffins, such as this one, were often very simple and small. Though it is small, it was made for a fully grown adult. In order to fit inside this coffin the deceased would have been curled up into a fetal position. The coffin would have then simply been buried in the sand. This coffin was not buried in the ground, but was hidden in a chamber. When the coffin was opened, the body inside the coffin was wrapped in layers of linens but not mummified. Interestingly enough, The Rosicrucian Museum also houses the body that was inside the coffin. The body of the man is still wrapped delicately in linen, while looking at it, one can only imagine the time and precision ancient egyptians used when preparing their dead for the after life. I feel for the man though, how could he have ever imagined his bod would one day be on display. (Rosicrucian
Art History
12 April 2012
The Egyptian Coffin After Burial As a child, ancient egyptian history was my escape. I would sit under my covers for hours reading books I had recently checked out from my city library about pharaohs, pyramids, and my favorite subject of all, Cleopatra. When visiting The Rosicrucian Museum of San Jose, I felt like a child agin. While touring the many different exhibits, I became more excited and interested one after another. After carefully reviewing over 4 pairs of artifacts, I chose to compare and contrast a predynastic box coffin and a Middle Kingdom coffin. The predynastic box coffin dates back to 3200 B.C.E and is not adorned with any after life offerings or scriptures, while the coffin of Lady …show more content…
It is small and put together with many different sized pieces of cedar wood. It is rectangular in shape and has a lid that keeps it closed. The discovery of the coffin is quite interesting, it was discovered in the city of Tar-khan in a cemetery chamber that was sealed off. Early coffins, such as this one, were often very simple and small. Though it is small, it was made for a fully grown adult. In order to fit inside this coffin the deceased would have been curled up into a fetal position. The coffin would have then simply been buried in the sand. This coffin was not buried in the ground, but was hidden in a chamber. When the coffin was opened, the body inside the coffin was wrapped in layers of linens but not mummified. Interestingly enough, The Rosicrucian Museum also houses the body that was inside the coffin. The body of the man is still wrapped delicately in linen, while looking at it, one can only imagine the time and precision ancient egyptians used when preparing their dead for the after life. I feel for the man though, how could he have ever imagined his bod would one day be on display. (Rosicrucian