Wood identification of some coffins from the Necropolis of Thebes held in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Florence

Abstract

Two groups of coffins from the Necropolis of Thebes and held in the Egyptian Museum of Florence were analysed to collect information about the woods used in their construction, possible provenance and the technological features. The two groups of coffins belong to burials during the XVIII Dynasty of the New Kingdom and the XXI Dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period. The latter group comes from the well-known tomb of Bab el-Gasus. The analysis confirms that the most frequently utilised timber for the ancient Egyptian wooden coffins was Ficus sycomorus L. (sycamore fig) that was widely available locally at the time of construction. Sycamore fig wood is light and easy to process, and is the only local tree species suitable for making boards of sufficient length for the sides of coffins. Sycamore fig is used almost exclusively in the coffins from Bab el-Gasus. Here very few other woods were detected, but were all local in origin: Acacia sp., acacia; Tamarix sp., tamarisk. In contrast, the precious softwood of Cedrus cf. libani (probably Lebanon cedar) largely appears in the coffins of the New Kingdom. The comparison of the woods from the analysis of the two groups of coffins points out important differences between them. The differences may depend on the variations over time of the workmanship skills and on the higher social status of the deceased in more ancient periods. Most likely the main difference is due to the worst socio-economic situations that drastically reduced the availability of timber during the XXI dynasty period, in that geographical area of Egypt.