THE GILDED COUCHES OF TUTANKHAMUN AND RELATIONSHIP EXTENT OF THE AFTERLIFE BOOKS IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD researcher in the Department of Egyptology - Faculty of Archaeology - Fayoum University & Inspector at Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism- Egypt.

2 Professor of Egyptology and Head of the Department of Egyptology - Faculty of Archaeology - Fayoum University- Egypt.

3 Lecturer in the Department of Egyptology - Faculty of Archaeology- Fayoum University- Egypt.

Abstract

The theme of this research paper seeks to investigate and discuss the gilded couches of the King Tutankhamun and relationship extent of the afterlife books in ancient Egypt. Three sets of gilded wooden couches were found well-preserved in the tomb of Tutankhamun (KV 62) when discovered by Howard Carter. They are now exhibited in the Grand Egyptian Museum . Stored initially along the west wall of the antechamber, they were organised in growing order, from the smallest to the largest, facing north towards the burial chamber. Resting on rectangular bases, they have the shape of sacred animals; the first couch represents a lioness goddess, the second couch a cow, and the third a hybrid goddess  consisting of a hippopotamus head with lion paws. The slabs of the footboards were decorated with the djed pillar, tyet knot signs and representations of apotropaic gods. Diverging views exist concerning the function of these couches, and as yet, the answer is not definite, warranting a new study. Therefore the study also seeks to investigate and highlight the opinions of these gilded couches of the King Tutankhamun and Unveiling the relationship extent of the afterlife books in ancient Egypt. It has been suggested that Tutankhamun’s burial was a rushed undertaking and elements of the funerary equipment were taken from his relatives. It would have led to unusual architecture or decoration, and the placement of tomb equipment, So this article proposes, and belives, that these gilded couches of the King Tutankhamun were placed in a proper order.  

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