Valley of the Queens, Thebes, 25th-26th Dynasty

Egyptian tombs were built to last forever, so they were made with durable materials like stone. They were known as "houses of eternity" and vital to the afterlife journey.

Based on Egyptian funerary beliefs, the spirit of the deceased could not survive in the afterlife without the body.   The body was covered with amulet and jewelry, then topped with a funerary mask or mummy board as a lid.

Egyptians created the process called mummification to preserve the body and it’s remains. Decorative style coffins took human form with features of the deceased sculpted and painted on the lid...with eyes still open as if the deceased were still alive.

While excavating in the Valley of the Queens, Ernesto Schiaparelli and this team discovered the tombs of two sons of pharaoh Ramesses III.  Many coffins were piled inside these tombs and were on display at the Kimbell Art Musuem.

Lid from the Inner Coffin of Secheperamon, found in the Valley of the Queens, Thebes, late period, 25th - 26th dynasty (c. 722 -525 BCE), painted wood.