Ancient Egyptian Burial Customs - Coffins

Coffins

The mummy after it has been preserved was placed in a brightly painted wooden coffin. The decorations on the coffin usually fit the decease’s status. A central band contains symbols of rebirth bordered by panels with images of god and goddesses. The large djed pillar painted on the back of the coffin represents a backbone. This provides symbolic support for the mummy and shows a writing of the decease’s ancestry. Next the first coffin part is placed in another wooden coffin. Like the first coffin, it is in the shape of the mummy but more simply ornamented. The inside of the bottom is painted with a figure of a goddess. The lid again shows the decease’s face, wig and sophisticated collar. There is an image of the scarab beetle with outstretched wings hovers over the mummy. The final part, the mummy and coffins were placed in a rectangular outermost coffin mostly made of wood, sometimes the wealthy had ones of stones, and are inscribed with religious texts. On the top of the coffin sits a jackal, probably Anubis. There is usually a box of shabtis nearby.