22nd Dynasty, New Kingdom
Thebes, Egypt

This cartonnage coffin belonged to Djedmaatesankh, a singer in the temple of Amun. Typical of the 22nd Dynasty, it features iconography from the Book of the Dead, emphasizing the deceased’s protection and rebirth through the ram-headed falcon form of the sun god.

The coffin also depicts Djedmaatesankh presented to Osiris, symbolizing her initiation into the afterlife.

Her 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 remains inside the cartonnage casing and was examined with a full-body CT scan in 1994, revealing a 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘺𝘴𝘵 in her 𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘫𝘢𝘸, which 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 poisoning—probably the cause of her 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.