PHOTO © ISRAEL MUSEUM, JERUSALEM, BY NAHUM SLAPAK
These anthropoid sarcophagi reflect the convergence of Egyptian and Canaanite burial practices. They originate from the cemetery of Deir el-Balah, located 8 miles south of Gaza City. Dating from the 14th and 13th centuries BCE, the coffins were crafted by building up coils of clay that were then shaped. The lids would be cut out and decorated with facial features, including hair, a beard, and arms, that often evoked Egyptian funerary styles. Several of the coffins were found to hold multiple individuals. The coffins were buried in groups of three or more and typically included rich assemblages of grave goods.
Around 50 coffins were uncovered at Deir el-Balah, from both salvage excavations and illegal digging in the 1970s and ’80s. A number of other sites in the southern Levant have yielded similar coffins. The coffins evidence the close connections between the residents of Deir el-Balah and Egypt, which controlled Canaan for much of the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550–1200 BCE). The ancient cemetery at Deir el-Balah is one of many archaeological sites in Gaza that has come under threat in the recent conflict.
These anthropoid sarcophagi reflect the convergence of Egyptian and Canaanite burial practices. They originate from the cemetery of Deir el-Balah, located 8 miles south of Gaza City. Dating from the 14th and 13th centuries BCE, the coffins were crafted by building up coils of clay that were then shaped. The lids would be cut out and decorated with facial features, including hair, a beard, and arms, that often evoked Egyptian funerary styles. Several of the coffins were found to hold multiple individuals. The coffins were buried in groups of three or more and typically included rich assemblages of grave goods. […]
