The Sarcophagus of Dagi
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Background:
Before talking about this sarcophagus we should talk about death to the ancient Egyptian the evolution of sarcophagi.
Before the pre-dynastic period:
The ancient Egyptian didn’t have a concept about death.
The pre-dynastic period:
The dead were buried and forgotten in an oval shape pit in the desert. When burying another body the pit was reopened and surprisingly the previous body was preserved. This led them to have some thoughts about death and life after death and believed that good spirits preserved their bodies. The real reason was that the bodies were buried in the hot sand thus dried out and preserved. The ancient Egyptians wanted to protect their bodies from decomposition and attacks of animals and robbers. Thus, they invented tombs. First they were shallow shafts in which the body was placed in crouching position and the shafts were blocked with rock and sand. The collapse of these rocks caused the destruction of the bodies thus they thought of putting the bodies in a basket shape container before putting them in the shafts. The bodies rapidly decomposed. Thus, mummification was invented to preserve the bodies and more over sarcophagi were developed for more protection. Sarcophagus is a Greek word for stone containers.
Different titles were given to the sarcophagus such as pr anx the house of life then nb n snxw the stone of living e.g Uni of 6th dynasty. During the Ramasside period it was called mn anxw the eternal monument.
Different shapes of sarcophagi:
|
Period |
Material |
Description |
Inscription |
|
Old Kingdom |
Stone like granite, limestone, alabaster |
It consisted of two parts the lid and the body. The lid had two protruding parts from each side to facilitate mobility and was either flat or vaulted |
They were plain until 4th dynasty names and titles were inscribed an the façade of the royal palace |
|
Middle Kingdom |
Mainly limestone |
The same |
Inscribed with religious formula and decorated with funerary objects, false doors and the two eyes as a link between the deceased and the outer world |
|
New Kingdom |
Different kind of stone |
Anthropoid coffins inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones |
Inscribed with texts from the Book of the Dead |
Development of Texts:
|
Period |
Text |
|
Old Kingdom |
Pyramid texts which are religious writings in hieroglyphics with no pictures consisting of spells and hymns that has no story e.g Unas |
|
1st intermediate period |
None |
|
Middle Kingdom |
Coffin texts which are the same as the pyramid texts but were inscribed on relief and on the interiors of the coffin and the burial |
|
New Kingdom |
Book of the Dead was written in hieroglyphics on papyrus scrolls and were kept in the tombs |
The sarcophagus of Dagi:
This sarcophagus belongs to a very famous noble man from the 11th dynasty called Dagi. It was found in Deir El Bahary. It is made out of painted lime stone. The interior of the sarcophagus is decorated on the four sides. It is divided into registers. The first register is decorated with a colored band on the four sides of the sarcophagus. It is colored red, blue and yellowish green. The second register contains the Htp di nswt formula on four sides and inscribed once more on the exterior sides of the sarcophagus. On one side the formula is dedicated to Anubis and on the other it is dedicated to Osiris accompanied with some titles of the deceased.
On one side following the formula there are offering tables full of many solid and liquid offerings. They consist of the head rest which was first used in the process of embalming but later it was used in daily life. There are two mirrors one black and the other white. This might be the representation of the mirror from both sides or a symbol of life and death. Then there is the wsx collar which is a sign of protection and a quiver followed by some bracelets of different shapes and colors. Then there is another wsx collar and a quiver but not colored. Then there are a group of bracelets surrounding some figs followed by a ewer and a basin and some incense burners. There are three jars containing liquids followed by bows and arrows and two shields and finally a pair of sandals. This representation gives us an idea about the position of the body; head next to the head rest and feet next to the sandals facing the side of the sarcophagus that contains the depiction of a colorful false door containing some knots and a Htp table and the two eyes. On the other side there are the seven sacred oils used in embalming, two bags of Lenin or the sSr containing malachite and two forks may have been used in the extraction of the brain from the nose. This depiction is followed by the coffin texts written in hieratic telling the story of the birth of Re.
The offering formula:
The first side is dedicated to Anubis:
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Htp di nswt Htp di inpw tpy Dw.f imywt nb tA Dsr qrst nfrt nt Xry m st imntt nt m qrrt imAxw dAgi
An offering made by the king, an offering made by Anubis, he is upon his mountain, lord of the sacred land, his good burial in the sacred necropolis of the west land in the mouth of the cave, honored Dagi
The following side:
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pr xrw t Hnkt kAw AbDw nt sDAwty bity smrwaty imAxw dAgi
An offering of bread, bear, cow and birds for the royal seal bearer, the sole companion, honored Dagi
The following side dedicated to Osiris<!--EndFragment--> p_image� }-gfxy�s2 v:shapes="_x0000_i1102"><!--[endif]--> <!--<!-- <!--<!-- <!--<!-- <!--<!--
sA ra rams mry imn
Born of Re (Ramses) beloved of Amen
On the other side:
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nswt bity wsr mAat ra stp n ra
The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, stability is the existence of Re, chosen by Re
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