Golden Mummies : Jar

Golden Mummies

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Vessels of similar shape and material were used to hold the ashes from cremations, which was practiced amongst the Greeks and Romans. Due to religious beliefs focusing on the transformation of the body, the idea of burning the corpse was anathema to the ancient Egyptians, and this method of dealing with the dead was never common in Egypt. The British archaeologist W.M. Flinders Petrie found a ‘globular leaden urn… containing burnt bones’ during excavation at the site of Hawara and the practice is attested from other Graeco-Roman cemeteries, such as Alexandria and Oxyrhynchus. Examples of cinerary urns of similar design made of faience have been found at the site of Memphis. As this item is without known findspot, it may have derived from any of these sites.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>When the object entered the collection, from the collection of Max Robinow, the rim of the vessel was damaged and has been restored by modern museum conservators.</p>