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An Egyptian sarcophagus is a coffin of
stone. The sarcophagus translation means ‘flesh eater’; this may
explain why some scholars think that the early coffins, which
were made of limestone, had the role of quickly dissolving the
body. The stone coffins used by the Egyptians of the 3 rd
dynasty, represented the architecture`s mud brick palaces, with
false windows and doors ornamental arrangements. Starting with
the 11th dynasty, on the Lebanese Coast and also in Egypt, were
used sarcophagi of limestone or wood, with a shape of a box. The
coffins from the 17th dynasty had a shape made to resemble the
human`s shape with a portrait head carved, of pasted papyrus
sheets. Later were used stones, pottery or wood. The royalty
could afford to have coffins of silver and even solid gold. The
upper classes of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties used to
enclose the inner coffins made of metal or wood in outer
sarcophagi made from stone; this practice was also used in the
Ptolemaic period. Some sarcophagi from the New Kingdom are made
from one piece of wood, covered with gesso and linen, and
carefully painted; they are examples of those time art. Close
to the Egypt` s Giza pyramids was found the oldest pyramid, in
perfect shape, and having inside a mummy old of 4.500 years. The
area where the sarcophagus was found is situated at two
kilometers from the Sphinx` s South-East, in a plateau`s area
used as the pyramids workers` cemetery. The sarcophagus dates
from the Khufu` s reign, the one who built the Great Pyramid.
According to the hieroglyphs found on the tomb, it belonged to Ny-Nsw-Wesert, (an administrative
district's overseer), who was
taking care of the temples, tombs and pyramids around Giza. |
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