Private Sarcophagi of the New Kingdom
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Private Sarcophagi of the New Kingdom Isa Böhme 145 examples of private sarcophagi of the New Kingdom are known to us – more than double the number of Middle Kingdom private sarcophagi (ca. 65 examples) and a little more than in the Old Kingdom (around 133). 41 of them can be dated to the 18th Dynasty, 46 to the 19th Dynasty, and yet only 15 to the 20th Dynasty. 17 examples may be from the Rameside Period and 26 can only be assigned with some certainty to the New Kingdom. These mostly consist of single fragments – almost all of them either reused in later times or found without any context at all. Topographical Distribution BUTO mut, the architect of Queen Hatschep- TANIS sut, to the high priest of Ptah Hori (son of Private sarcophagi were found in many BUBASTIS Khaemwaset and grandchild of Rameses II) MASCHUTA necropoleis from Buto in the Nile delta to HELIOPOLIS and to a certain Djehutymose (London BM the upper Nubian town of Soleb (see map). SAQQARA MEMPHIS/ 1642), great overseer of cattle, otherwise DAHSCHUR Some of these find spots – like Tanis or MITRAHINE unknown. GUROB Buto – do not constitute the original burial SEDMENT place but secondary usage by a usurper, a O A S E Classification of Shapes B A H A R I J A fate shared by almost 8 % (11 examples) of the whole material. TUNA EL-GEBEL The private sarcophagi of the New King- More than one third of the private sar- dom can be divided into two shapes: rec- cophagi originate from ancient Thebes, but tangular and anthropoid. Furthermore the O A S E F A R A F R A ASSIUT many were also found in the area around QAW EL-KEBIR anthropoid sarcophagi can be split into Memphis or in cemeteries of peripheral ACHMIM mummy-shaped ones and examples repre- towns that were chosen as burial sites for ABYDOS senting the deceased in the dress of daily O A S E D A C H L A some of the high class officials capable of THEBEN life. Both forms can have runners whereas procuring a stone coffin for themselves, O A S E C H A R G A rectangular stone coffins never exhibit this ESNA and, in some cases, also for their wives. EDFU feature – quite contrary to their wooden Abu Simbel Buhen counterparts, which can display runners II. Cataract UPPER NUBIA Rocks and Stones III. Cataract beneath the casket. SOLEB ASSUAN Sesebi New Kingdom IV. Cataract An early theory of the study linked the Gebel Barkal The predominant shape of private sar- NAG EL-FARIQ 2 V. Cataract 25 2% usage of specific stones with the intended cophagi during the New Kingdom is the 17% Meroe ANIBA 3 57 burial place of the owner, assuming a pref- mummiform one which is first attested VI. Cataract 2% 39% erence for limestone in Lower and Middle under the reign of Amenophis III and then 18 0 100 200 km th 13% Egypt, for sandstone in Upper Egypt and II. Cataract used until the end of the 20 dynasty. for rose granite or granodiorite for the area For earlier examples the rectangular 15 around Assuan. This theory can’t be con- examples: before Amenophis III royal sar- shape was applied instead. After Ameno- 10% 25 17% firmed. Also gender specific usage of differ- cophagi were made of quarzite and since phis III this shape was not used again until ent stones must be dismissed partially due his reign most of them were manufactured the reign of Rameses II. Four such examples to the low number of sarcophagi for female from rose granite. were manufactured under his rule (own- th rose granite granodiorite limestone sandstone quarzite unknown 2 materials owners: only nine women owned a sar- Since the 19 dynasty this also applies ers: Amenophis Huy, Suti, Pashedu and 18th dynasty cophagus and most of them were married to private examples: for some reason rose Isisnofret), two of which contained a sec- 3; 8% 1; 2% 6; 16% to an official who also possessed a stone granite was by far the most common raw ond mummiform sarcophagus thus stress- coffin. Therefore, a chronological explana- material (Fig. 3). Quarzite on the other ing their function as outer containers. The tion is suggested according to the data (see hand is almost absent from the corpus of same applies to the similarly rare wooden 11; 29% below). private sarcophagi, which possibly implies rectangular coffins. They were employed 11; 29% some kind of kingly prerogative over that as outer containers for anthropoid coffins Five different kinds of stone were used material. The only three private examples until Amenophis III and then again under 6; 16% rose granite granodiorite limestone sandstone quarzite unknown to manufacture private sarcophagi: rose produced from this stone belong to Senen- Rameses II. granite, granodiorite, limestone, sandstone 19th dynasty and three examples were made of silici- 3; 7% 1; 2% 1; 2% 2; 4% fied sandstone (i.e. quarzite). Rose granite 2; 5% was most favoured as raw material for the production of private sarcophagi through- dress 7; 15% out the New Kingdom (Fig. 1). More than 30; 65% one third of all the objects were fabricated with runners from this hard stone, closely followed by rose granite granodiorite limestone sandstone quarzite unknown 2 materials granodiorite (25 %). mummy However, by taking a closer look at the th th Fig. 1–3 material from the 18 and 19 dynasty a with runners Distribution of different kinds of pattern can be detected: Throughout the stone during the New King- 18th dynasty soft stones were frequently rectangular dom (top), the 18th Dynas- used (Fig. 2). The use of hard stones was ty (middle) and the 19th only introduced around the time of Ameno- Dynasty (bottom) phis III since then favouring the dark gran- odiorite over rose granite. This change in preferences concerning the raw material T IV A IV Tut Mer Hat T III A II A III Har R II R III for sarcophagi also occurred with royal Fig. 5 Mummy- shaped lid of the innermost sarcophagus of Mery- mose (Amenophis III; London, British Museum, EA 1001) Fig. 6 Sarcophagus of Ini-iu-ia (Tutankha- mun; Paris, Louvre, D2 = N338) – the deceased appearing in the dress of daily life Fig. 7 Right side of the outer sarcophagus of Pa- Rameses (Haremhab; Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 30707 + 46764). The lid shows the deceased in the dress of a vizier Fig. 8 Left side of the inner sarcophagus of Pa-Rame- ses (Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 72203) Sarcophagi showing the deceased in the examples for the incised figure of the sky Besides the usual title of nb.t-pr, the dress of daily life – not unlike the rectan- goddess Nut on sarcophagi lids and cases women held mostly priestly titles or titles gular ones – are very rare (see the Fig. 4 (e.g. Senenmut, Senqed, Nebwenenef). connected with temple service: below). They first appeared during the • Hm.t-nTr reign of Tutankhamun and were mostly The Texts • Hm.t-nTr tpj n DHwtj produced in the post-Amarna era. Just two • wab.t examples date to the reign of Rameses II. The textual repertoire was largely com- • wr.t xnr.t n GN posed of chapters 151 and 161 of the Book • Smay.t n GN The Decoration of the Dead, as well as the Nut-spell from • sxmy.t n GN the Pyramid text Pyr. 638, the jmAxy-xr- The decoration program mainly consists and Dd-mdw-jn-formulae known from Mid- The Men of well-known funerary symbols, gods and dle Kingdom coffins and some portions goddesses of which many were already of texts deriving from mitre inscriptions, Most of the male owners possessed one mentioned in inscriptions on Old and Mid- also from Middle Kingdom coffins, which single stone coffin, but eleven were placed dle Kingdom coffins: probably served as source material for the in a stone coffin ensemble. in one case • The sky goddess Nut as standing or speeches of the god Anubis, among others. there were up to three sarcophagi placed kneeling woman with wings or as vul- Apart from Anubis, other gods and god- inside one another (ensemble of the vice- ture, stretched over the chest of the desses assumed the role of ›speaker‹ for roy of Kush Merimose). lid; the deceased or were mentioned frequent- Many of the sarcophagi owners were • The two sisters of Osiris, Isis and ly in the inscriptions on private sarcophagi high ranking officials. According to their ti- Nephthys, as well as Neith and Serqet of the New Kingdom. These include the tles they can be divided into four groups: in some cases, situated at the head four sons of Horus, Geb and Nut, Isis and • Scribes (sS-nswt was the most fre- and foot end of lids and cases or the Nephthys, Thoth as well as Horus and the quently used title on private sarcoph- instep of the foot end of the lid; god . Variations and exceptions did oc- agi) • Anubis as jackal or jackal-headed de- cur, but are often limited to details. Howev- • Military ity, at the head end or in the middle er, some remarkable changes were made • State administration of the long sides of the cases or occa- in rare cases, e.g. the sarcophagus of the • Temple administration sionally on the lower part of the lid; great overseer of cattle Djehutymose from • The four sons of Horus – on the long Tuna el-Gebel (Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE Among them were for example four vice- sides of the cases and/or the low- 48079) was inscribed not only with BD 151 roys of Kush, four viziers, five majors of dif- er part of the lid – were displayed and 161, but also with excerpts from dif- ferent cities, eight overseers of the treas- with human heads until the reign of ferent spells from the Pyramid texts (e.g.