Here are some canopic jars and canopic jar lids!
Ever since I was a little kid ๐๐๐ I have been obsessed with the process of mummification and mummies ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ๐ช – I have never been scared of it I just thought it was so cool! The purpose of the canopic jars was to hold the organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ that were removed during the process of mummification. The stomach ๐๐ฃ๐ป, intestines ๐๐ช๐ ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ผ, the liver ๐ ๐๐๐น๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ and the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ. The brain ๐๐ ๐ ๐น was removed through the nose ๐๐๐ง๐ but then gotten rid of! The heart ๐๐๐ฃ was not removed because the deceasedโs ๐ ๐๐ฑ heart ๐๐๐ฃ needed to be weighed against Maatโs ๐๐ด๐ฃ๐๐ฆ feather in order to enter the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
The canopic jars on the top row belonged to a woman ๐๐๐๐๐ named Nephtys who was a mayorโs daughter. These are dated to the Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 12 – c. 1981โ1802 B.C.E.), and human headed lids were popular during this time period. Before this, the canopic jars had flat lids. These four ๐ฝ jars are made of limestone ๐๐๐๐!
The canopic jars on the bottom row belong to a person named Kay. These are also dated to the Middle Kingdom (Dynasty 12 – c. 1981โ1802 B.C.E.), and are made out of linen ๐ฑ and stucco. These canopic jars contain a hieroglyphic ๐น๐๐ช inscription ๐๐๐ฅ on the front. I think the lids of these jars are so cool because they look like a mummy mask!