King Tut Sarcophagus
The King Tut Tomb
The tomb of Tutankhamun contained
four gilded shrines nested one inside the other in order of decreasing
size. Inside the innermost shrine was a red quartzite sarcophagus which
protected three anthropoid coffins (man-shaped). The first two coffins
were made of gilded wood but the final coffin was made of solid gold.
The solid gold coffin housed the mummy of King Tut and his fabulous
golden death mask. This page describes the King Tut Sarcophagus.
King Tut Coffin
King Tut Shrines
King Tut Sarcophagus -
Definition
The Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus is
synonymous with the famous artefacts found in the tomb of King Tut. What
exactly was the King Tut sarcophagus and what was its purpose?
Definition (plural: sarcophagi) : A sarcophagus is a stone container
that usually houses a coffin and an Egyptian mummy. The word sarcophagus was applied to
stone coffins in general which were not sunk underground. The Egyptian
interpretation of the word sarcophagus was the 'possessor of life'
relating to their belief in the afterlife and that the deceased would
eventually be reborn. Western culture has the opposite interpretation
believing that a sarcophagus is a 'possessor of death'.
Purpose of the King Tut Sarcophagus
During
the 18th Dynasty the outer sarcophagus enclosed a series of inner
coffins, the last of which would contain the royal mummy of the Pharaoh.
The purpose of the King Tut sarcophagus was therefore the external layer of
protection for the royal mummy of Tutankhamun. Inside the King Tut
Sarcophagus were 3 nested layers of coffins. These coffins are described
as Anthropoid meaning man-shaped.
This term is therefore used for coffins made in the shape of a human.
The King Tut sarcophagus was highly decorated with ornate
carvings and paintings and carved with hieroglyphs and
relief's, both internally
and externally.
Description of the King Tut Sarcophagus -
Description
The Tutankhamun Sarcophagus (King Tut's ) is made of red quartzite,
rectangular in shape and measuring approximately 9 feet high by 5 feet
wide and 9 feet long.
The sarcophagus was protected by a series of
It contains three gold Anthropoid coffins nested within each other, like Russian
dolls. Inside the final coffin is the mummy of the Pharaoh
Tutankhamun - King Tut - which was directly covered by his fabulous
death mask.
-
The King Tut
sarcophagus is carved from a single block of red
quartzite supported at each corner upon a block of alabaster
-
It measures 8.98
feet (2.74 meters) long by 4.82 feet (1.47 meters) wide
and 8.98 feet (1.47 meters) high
-
The lid is made
of red granite and cracked across the center. No-one knows
how this damage occurred
-
It is decorated
with figures of four goddesses, Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and
Selket, carved in high relief on the corners, with their
wings outspread to protect the body of the Pharaoh King Tut
which lay within the depths of the protective tomb
-
Hieroglyphs of
religious text, religious scenes and
the protective Wadjet eye are also engraved on the
sarcophagus
King Tut Sarcophagus
Each section of this King Tut website addresses all topics and
provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of
Pharaohs and of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details
of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject
of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
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