In a complex operation that took several months to organize, two ancient Egyptian coffin lids from The Israel Museum’s collection were scanned with a highly sensitive Computerized Tomography (CT) Machine at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, with the goal of tracing the preparatory actions carried out by the craftsman before the lids were decorated.

The coffins, one dating back to 950 BCE and the other dated between the seventh and fourth centuries BCE, were examined in order to identify the operations performed by the craftsman during the manufacture of the lids thousands of years ago.

The department’s curator explained that the scans made it possible to better understand the actions of the craftsman who created the coffin lids, thus making a significant contribution to the research they are conducting. “We identified cavities in the wood that were filled with plaster as part of the preparation for the decoration of the coffins, as well as various parts that were cast entirely from plaster and not carved directly from the wood.”

Shaare Zedek is always happy to contribute to a diverse range of research, and projects!