Mummy Coffins

The mummy was placed inside one of these coffins. The dead person is painted on the outside of the lid so that when the dead persons spirit, called his Ba, returned it could recognise him or her.

These coffins are really well painted, and must have taken a long time to make.

Egyptologists call coffins like these 'Anthropoid Coffins'

Often the decoration includes pictures of food. This magically gave the spirit energy.

Both the outside and the inside of the coffin was decorated.