Scientists have uncovered the contents of six tiny Egyptian coffins
Miscellaneous / / April 22, 2023
They contained the remains and lead, which in ancient times was used for love spells and curses.
Scientists managed to look inside the metal ancient Egyptian coffins, which are stored in the British Museum in London. They have been sealed for thousands of years. results research were published in Scientific Reports.
Coffins ranging in length from 50 to 300 millimeters, dating from 664-250 BC, were discovered in the ancient cities of Naukratis and Tell el-Yehudiya (Egypt) in 1885. They are made of copper alloy and have lizard, eel and cobra figures on the outside.
To look inside, the scientists used neutron tomography, a non-invasive technology that, unlike x-rays, can penetrate metal.
Inside one of the coffins was a complete intact lizard skull. Two more contained fragments of animal bones wrapped in cloth, possibly linen.
“Although animal burials were common in ancient Egypt, it is quite rare to find coffins that are still sealed,” said lead study author and British Museum radiologist Daniel O'Flynn.
Some of them also contained lead. It is possible that this metal was used to distribute weight during the burial process or to seal a hole in the body of the coffins. Several of the boxes have loops on the outside that may have been used to hang them from the walls of shrines or to be carried during religious processions.
We found quite a lot of lead in three crates. It could be something purely practical. Or maybe symbolic - this metal in ancient Egypt was considered a magical material. Plus, it is known that it was used to protect mummified remains, as well as for love spells and curses.
Daniel O'Flynn
Study lead author and radiologist at the British Museum
However, the authors of the study did not find out the cause of death of these animals. But they do not exclude that they were used as an offering to the gods.
Read also🧐
- Exploration of the Nile River helped solve the mystery of the construction of the Egyptian pyramids
- 5 Mysteries of Ancient Egypt That Science Hasn't Solved Yet
- Archaeologists have discovered a secret corridor in the pyramid of Cheops