The Truth About Six Unusual Egyptian Coffins, Intricately Crafted, Revealed by Neutron Tomography After More Than 2,200 Years of Burial.
These six Egyptian coffins, ranging in length from 5 to 30 meters and dating from 664 to 250 BCE, were excavated from Naukratis (also known as Naucratis) and Tell el-Yehudiyeh (Tell el-Yehudiya) starting in 1885. They are currently housed at the British Museum in London.
According to Live Science, all six are made of a copper alloy, featuring an exterior design resembling a hybrid creature with a human head and animal body.
A hybrid creature of an eel, a snake, and a deity atop an Egyptian coffin – (Photo: BRITISH MUSEUM).
The imagery created on the coffins is directed towards the gods. One of them features a bronze statue depicting a creature that is half cobra and half eel, with a human head crowned in a manner resembling the ancient Egyptian god Atum.
Due to the coffins being made of metal, scientists employed neutron tomography, which is unaffected by metal unlike X-rays, to peer inside the coffins without opening them.
Inside the coffins were not infants or fetuses as often suspected with smaller Egyptian coffins, but rather well-preserved bones, wrapped in linen. One of the coffins contained the completely intact skull of a lizard.
Neutron tomography image clearly showing the animal mummy and materials used for coffin balance… All in good condition – (Photo: BRITISH MUSEUM).
The lead author, Daniel O’Flynn, an X-ray imaging scientist at the British Museum, stated: “Although animal burials were common in ancient Egypt, it is very rare to find sealed coffins. This is the first time we have confirmed an object like this in the British Museum that contains animal remains.”
Metal was not only used to create the coffins but also used inside the coffins to distribute weight during burial and to repair any damage to the coffins. Some had rings attached to the outside, which might have been used for hanging in temples or carried in ancient processions.
The copper alloy in three of the six coffins also contained a significant amount of lead, which previous studies have shown was used by the Egyptians as a protective charm for mummies, or as a love charm, or even as a cursing amulet.
This research was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports on April 20.
