The coffins

The coffin is usually defined as a chest in which a corpse is buried but to distinguish it from the sarcophagus it can be also defined as the container nearest to the mummified corpse.

A sarcophagus and three anthropoid coffins:

When the burial chamber was opened 4 shrines diminishing in size and fitting inside each other were found. In the inner most shrine, a sarcophagus was found. When it was opened, 3 anthropoid coffins were discovered. Inside the inner most one, the mummy of the king was placed wrapped in linen and wearing the mask.

Development of coffins:

In the beginning, they were short chests in order to contain the contracted burials. When the mummification process took place the body was placed in the chest extended so it became full length coffins. So the development of the coffins was according to the development of the preservation of the body

As for the inscriptions, the coffins had simple inscriptions just a horizontal line. Pair of eyes was placed to link the deceased with the outer world of living.

The anthropoid coffins first appeared in the 12th dynasty, Middle Kingdom. It was a development of the idea of the mask. At first the mask took the shape of the head, then appeared the existing masks from the front of the body, then by adding a shell from the back, we had the shape of the anthropoid coffin

The coffins were more developed in the New Kingdom as the Rishi decoration appeared even there were colored coffins such as the white coffins with polychrome decorations, the black coffins with yellow decorations and the yellow coffins decorated with bright colors by a back pillar and standing on a pedestal.

Sarcophagus:

The sarcophagus was made out of quartzite and the lid was made of granite painted yellow to match wit the sarcophagus this wasn’t the original one at the time of burial. The lid wasn’t ready so they brought another one.

The sarcophagus takes the shape off pr wr decoration with the protective goddesses outstretching their wings.

The three anthropoid coffins:

The outermost coffin:

It’s made out of gilded wood. It represents the king while wearing the xAt headdress, a broad collar and the cobra and vulture are on the forehead, and the turned up beard of Osiris. His arms are crossed over his chest holding the HkA and the nxx.

It is decorated with the rishi decoration representing either one of the deceased elements the ba or the feathers of goddess Isis as protecting Osiris .. deceased.

Then there are goddess Isis and Nephtis outstretching their wings. The rishi decoration (it the background)

The underside of the foot carries a further representation of Isis kneeling upon the nbw sign.

The middle coffin:

It’s made out of wood, gilded and inlaid with colored glass, faience, carnelian, etc. it represents the king wearing the nms, falcon, collar, and cobra and vulture on the forehead and the turned up beard. His arms are crossed carrying the crook and the flail. It is covered with the rishi decoration. Instead of Isis and Nephtis, there are the vulture goddess nxbt the cobra goddess wADt with the body of a bird.

The inner most coffin:

It’s made out of pure gold. It weighs 110 kg. It represents the king wearing the nms, vulture and cobra on the forehead. His hands are crossed holding the crook and the flail. It is covered with the rishi decoration. Below his hands, nxbt and wADt are represented protecting the upper part of the body while Isis and Nephtis protecting the lower part. The underside of the foot carries a further representation of Isis kneeling upon the nbw sign

N.B: inside the tomb now are the sarcophagus and the outermost coffin and the mummy whereas in the museum are the middle and the innermost coffins.