Pink Granite Sarcophagus

This pink granite cartouche shaped box once contained the nest of coffins of pharaoh ramesses iii.

Pink granite sarcophagus.

The lid is now in the fitzwilliam museum in cambridge. The outside of the box is engraved with the seventh and eighth chapters of the book of amduat and the inside with the first chapter of the. But there were also warnings against opening the tomb due to worries of a. Rumors have been rolling about since the 27 ton 59 500 lb black granite sarcophagus was uncovered three weeks ago in alexandria egypt.

The sarcophagus was oblong. These texts are produced in longitudinal and transverse bands imitating a mummy fastenings. The base of the granite sarcophagus lying in the king s chamber of khufu s pyramid measures 98 7 x 105 1 x 227 6cm there is no lid. The sarcophagus of helena is the red porphyry coffin in which saint helena the mother of emperor constantine the great was buried died 329 the coffin deprived of its contents for centuries was removed from the mausoleum of helena at tor pignatarra just outside the walled city of rome and ultimately moved to the vatican museums in the 18th century and now is in the sala a croce greca.

Nevertheless it was decorated with colorfully painted plaster walls and contained fragments of the queen s pink granite sarcophagus among other small artifacts. As usual with royal sarcophaguses of the 18th dynasty it combined both images and texts. The box of this fine sarcophagus is made of brown quartzite and the lid is made of pink granite tinted to the color of the box. A mysterious black granite sarcophagus discovered in alexandria egypt dating to a time after alexander the great conquered the area in 332 b c has been opened.

White tura limestone of the best quality. Because of its size the sarcophagus must have been transported there already while the construction of the king s chamber was taking place it would not have been possible to haul it through the. For the central chamber with the sarcophagus of the pharaoh reddish pink granite from aswan was used able to support the weight of the construction. Why two different stones should have been used is not obvious unless the reason was that the intended quartzite lid was not ready in time for the funeral and a granite lid of indifferent quality which happened to be available was substituted for it.

Mysterious legs image credit. There was speculation at the.