Sarcophagus of Psamtik-Seneb
Artist
Unknown
DateLate Period, Dynasty 26, 664-525 B.C.E.
MediumGray schist
Dimensions86 in., estimated 10,000-17,000 lbs
ClassificationsEgyptian
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.2254
Terms
- Funeral
- Death
- Medicine
- Gray
- Heliopolis
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextSarcophagus of Psamtik-Seneb Late Period, Dynasty 26, 664-525 B.C.E. Schist, 86 in., estimated 10,000-17,000 lb. Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2254 Carved of stone, alabaster, or another highly durable material, the sarcophagus served as the protective outer receptacle for the mummy, with the wooden coffin (or several layers of coffins) nested inside it. Such elaborate and costly burial boxes were typically reserved for the elite. When this sarcophagus was unearthed in a tomb near Cairo in 1931, the burial chamber contained alabaster canopic jars (to hold the deceased's organs) and numerous shabties, additional signs that the deceased had been a wealthy man in life. By then the sarcophagus had already been opened and emptied by tomb robbers. The hieroglyphs on the sarcophagus identify the deceased as Psamtik-Seneb, "the scorpion charmer." In ancient Egypt, scorpion charmers were healers who treated scorpion stings and snakes bites, a crucial job in a land where venomous insects and animals constantly threatened men and cattle. The pharaohs themselves had scorpion charmers in their service and included them on royal expeditions to safeguard against snake and insect bites.
Unknown
Late Dynasty 5-early Dynasty 6, reigns of Unas or Pepy I, 2375-2287 B.C.E.
Unknown