Ancient canopic jar

Description:	Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They developed a process, called mummification, to preserve the body after death for its use in the afterlife. During embalming, the process used to create a mummy, specific internal organs were removed from the body in order to preserve them for the afterlife. Considered to be the most important organs, the lungs, liver, stomach and intestines were carefully stored in special containers called canopic jars. The heart was left inside the body as it was believed that Anubis (the god who supervised the embalming and burial of the deceased and who guided the dead to the underworld) would weigh it to determine whether the person had led a good life (called the Judgment of the Dead). This canopic jar was carved from limestone. The baboon represents Hapi, one of the four sons of the Falcon God of the Sky, Horus. It was Hapi’s job to protect the stomach while in the tomb as the deceased made his journey to the afterlife. Late in Ancient Egyptian history, organs were no longer placed inside of canopic jars, but were preserved within the body. However, empty “dummy” jars were still used for symbolic purposes and to deter tomb robbers. Its not certain, but this jar may have been used as a dummy jar. Canopic jars were normally made of wood, pottery, faience, cartonnage or stone. They took different forms throughout different periods of Ancient Egyptian history. Jars of the Old Kingdom (about 2686-2181 BC) were almost never inscribed, and had plain lids. In the Middle Kingdom (about 2025-1700 BC) canopic jars were often inscribed, and the lids took the form of human heads. In the Nineteenth Dynasty and later, each of the four jars was designed to resemble a specific deity, one of the four sons of Horus (the falcon god of the sky) in order to protect the organs while in the tomb. The jar containing the liver was under the protection of Imseti (human), the jar containing the lungs had Hapi (baboon) as a patron, the jar for the deceaseds stomach was protected by Duamutef (jackal) and the intestines by Qebehsennef (falcon). When placed in the tomb, the jars were positioned apart from the mummy. In wealthy tombs, such as that of Tutankhamun, they were stored in elaborate shrines (or chests) guarded by a figure of Anubis. In the 21st Dynasty, preservation techniques improved, enabling embalmers to embalm the internal organs, wrap them in linens and return them to the body. Empty dummy canopic jars were still used for symbolic purposes and to deter tomb robbers. (Its not certain, but this jar may have been used as a dummy jar.)
Source:	http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/444
Collection:	The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/;
Copyright:	Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0);
Geography:	Egypt
Subjects:	Egypt -- Civilization--To 332 B.C. Mummies -- Egypt Canopic jars

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