Fredagskollokvium: Anders Bettum: Coffins and sarcophagi in Ancient Egypt: development and symbolic significance

Egyptian mummy-coffins can be found in museums all over the world, and are particularly common in museums in Europe and the United States. Even here in Norway, where we hardly have any tradition for Egyptology at all, we find Egyptian coffins in three different museums: the university museums in Oslo and Bergen and in Glomdalsmuseeet in Elverum. The coffins were brought to Europe in the 19th century, before the strict regulations for export of antiquities were in place. Despite the long history of these objects in the West, remarkably little has been done on them in terms of research. The situation here in Oslo is typical: Some coffins have been here since the 1820s, and yet I am the first scholar to take an interest in them! While most people in the West recognize the iconic image of an Egyptian mummy mask or coffin, very few know what they meant to those who were buried in them. In fact, it is only in the past 30-40 years that scholars started to study this abundant and fascinating material systematically. The talk will focus on the development of body containers from the pre-history of Egypt into pharaonic times, and the important role of coffins and sarcophagi in the complex afterlife belief-systems of Ancient Egypt.