Damage and repair of the Old Kingdom canopic jars – the case at Abusir

Abstract

Archaeological excavations in the Abusir South officials’ tombs have revealed several sets of canopic jars that bear traces of large surface damage and plaster patches filling the holes and chippings. Deeper research into the canopic jars of the Old Kingdom unearthed during earlier excavations in the area of Abusir yielded more examples, and therefore questions arose concerning the origins of this damage and subsequent repair. The author of the present study brings to light the so far recognized evidence and outlines several paths of interpretation. The quality of limestone used for the production of all these canopic jars was not the reason for this damage, which would have occurred during the production process. Therefore, the author comes to the conclusion that they must have been used in a kind of pre-burial activity, most probably connected with mummification. Such activity thus caused the surface chippings, and the jars must have been restored (in one case twice). Later on, the jars were put into the burial apartment – all probably empty, as a symbol of post mortal treatment of the body, which probably did not include evisceration.

Keywords

• canopic jars
• mummification
• Old Kingdom
• stone vessels
• limestone