Canopic jars: protectors of the viscera in Ancient Egypt

In Egyptian religion, people were composed of five components: the body, the Ba, the Ka, the shadow, and the name. These elements, especially the first three, had to be preserved for proper functioning in the afterlife. This is why Egyptians began early on to develop the practice of mummification to preserve the integrity of the body in this new stage.

Within this funerary ritual, it stands out from an early time the need to extract the viscera from the body and store them in containers that were placed inside the tombs. These were four vessels or urns known as canopic jars, where the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were kept. The heart, on the other hand, had to remain within the body because it was the source of reason, memory, and emotions (Garzón Rodríguez, 2016, p. 118).

First Testimonies and Evolution of Iconography

The first evidence we have of canopic equipment comes from the tomb of Queen Hetepheres in Giza, dating back to the IV Dynasty (2613 – 2494 BC), which was equipped with an alabaster chest divided into four compartments for each organ (Pons Mellado et al., 2018, p. 393). In the beginning, the lids of these jars would be flat, but over time they evolved alongside mummification techniques. Thus, during the First Intermediate Period (2190 – 2050 BC), we observe that the lids took on human head forms, while in the New Kingdom period, starting with the XVIII Dynasty (1575 – 1295 BC), they adopted the morphology associated with the iconography of the four sons of Horus (Onderka, 2022, p. 151).

The sons of Horus were considered divine protectors associated with each of the eviscerated organs. Amset was the protector of the liver, represented with a human head; Hapy, with a baboon's head, protected the lungs; Duamutef preserved the stomach in the form of a jackal; and Qebehsenuf, with the shape of a hawk and protector of the intestines (Pons Mellado et al., 2018, p. 393). However, this association presents variations, especially from the Third Intermediate Period (1070 – 650 BC), where we might find role exchanges between Duamutef and Hapy, for example (Enany, 2021, p. 73).

The four sons of Horus were also under the tutelage of the goddesses Isis, Neftis, Selkis, and Neit, respectively associated with each of those mentioned before. In this way, the protection of the organs was reinforced through the magic of the aforementioned deities (Garzón Rodríguez, 2016, p. 120). The orientation of the jars also had special relevance because each son was related to a cardinal point, with the intention that the body be protected from all types of attacks coming from any direction. Thus, Amset was lord of the south, Hapy of the north, Duamutef of the east, and Qebehsenuf of the west (Garzón Rodríguez, 2016, p. 119), being placed in this disposition within the tomb.

Towards the end of the New Kingdom (1550 – 1070 BC) and especially during the Third Intermediate Period, the way of preparing and preserving the viscera was modified. The custom of placing internal organs inside canopic jars began to be abandoned in favor of reinserting them into the deceased's body, once they had been properly mummified (Onderka, 2022, p. 151). This has been observed, for example, in the body of Pharaoh Ramses V, from the XX Dynasty (1190 – 1070 BC) (Enany, 2021, p. 74). In theory, this would cause the canopic jars to be out of place or unusable, but despite this they continued to be placed in the tombs. The canopic equipment, although empty, would continue to perform a protective magical function as part of the funerary outfit (Onderka, 2022, p. 151).

In the Late Period and especially during Dynasties XXVI (664 – 525 BC) and XXVII (525 – 404 BC), we observe a return to preserving organs in this equipment, although with exceptions. Finally, it was during the Ptolemaic period when their decline was observed, being during Roman occupation that canopic jars completely disappeared from archaeological records in Egypt (Onderka, 2022, p. 151).

Conclusions

Canopic jars were a very important element within the funerary culture of Ancient Egypt, being necessary even much later after their initial utility was disregarded, such as preserving internal organs.

Furthermore, within material culture they are objects of great interest because they allow us to glimpse moments when changes in thought seem to occur in Egyptian society generally and with respect to funerary rituals specifically. On one hand, we have the changes in iconography, such as the adoption of a human aspect for the jars' form, followed by transformation into the sons of Horus. And on the other, evidence that from a certain point canopic jars recede due to the trend of placing organs back inside the deceased. This could reflect an increased interest in maintaining the body as intact as possible.

Bibliography

Enany, A. (2021). Funerary Figurines of the Four Sons of Horus from Bab el Gusus. JFTH, 18 (2), 72 – 97.‎

Garzón Rodríguez, J. (2016). The Four Sons of Horus. ArtyHum, 26, 113 – 121.

Onderka, P. (2022). Inscribed canopic jars in the Czech collections. Annals of the Náprstek Muzeum, 43 (2), 149 – 182.

Pons Mellado, E., Badillo, S., Carrascoso, J., & de Vega, V. M. (2018). Egyptian human mummies. A journey through time, from the Nile Country to the National Archaeological Museum. Boletín del Museo Arqueológico Nacional, (37), 391 – 408.