This colorful box was used to hold ushbatis or canopic jars. The jackal on the box is an image of the embalming god, Anubis.
Most often Pharaohs and other important Egyptians were buried with the ushabtis and canopic jars. Ushabtis were small statuettes that were said to be helpers who accompanied the body into the underworld. Canopic jars were vessels designed to hold the internal organs of a corpse while it was being embalmed. What insight do the details of this artwork provide about the importance of organ preservation in Egyptian culture? Given the Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife, why do you think they preserved the organs in this way?
The details of this artwork suggest that organ preservation was of great importance in Egyptian culture. The fact that they went to such lengths to carefully remove and preserve the internal organs of the deceased shows how they believed that these organs were vital for the afterlife.
In Egyptian religion, it was believed that the deceased would need their organs intact in order to be resurrected in the afterlife. The heart, for example, was considered to be the seat of the soul in Egyptian culture, so it was essential that it be preserved. The process of mummification and placement of the organs in canopic jars ensured that the deceased would be able to continue their journey into the afterlife with all of their essential organs intact.
By preserving the organs in this way, the ancient Egyptians believed that the deceased would be able to maintain their physical form and essence in the afterlife. This attention to detail and belief in the importance of organ preservation reflects the deep spiritual and religious beliefs of the Egyptian people and their preparation for the afterlife.