Sarcophagus of Queen Hatshepsut, recut for her father, Thutmose I (box)

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The term "sarcophagus" originates from Greek words sarkophagos, meaning flesh-eater, and refers to a stone coffin that consumes its occupant. The ancient Egyptians would have been horrified at the notion of a container devouring the body inside it, yet today we use the term to describe stone coffins as opposed to wooden ones. They called their own containers "lord of life," meant to protect and preserve the body forever. The kings of Dynasty 18 were buried in impressive hard stone sarcophagi made from quartzite or red granite, associated with the sun, a symbol of rebirth, due to their reddish hues. To enhance this color, a coat of red paint was often applied to the surface of the stone, filling in hieroglyphs and outlines of figures. This Eighteenth-Dynasty royal sarcophagus is the only one outside Egypt, created for Queen Hatshepsut turned Pharaoh. Initially commissioned for her tomb, it was later modified when she decided to transfer her father's mummy from his tomb to hers. The original inscriptions were altered to reflect the new recipient, Thutmose I, with his name substituted for hers and feminine pronouns changed to masculine. A pious act of filial devotion is commemorated on an inscription on the outer right side of the sarcophagus: "She [Hatshepsut] made it as her monument for her beloved father, the good god, lord of the Two Lands, king of Upper and Lower Egypt Aakheperkara, the son of Re, Thutmose, vindicated." At the last minute, it was discovered that the sarcophagus was too small for Thutmose I's mummy, so the insides had to be cut back to accommodate it. Provenance From Thebes, Valley of the Kings, tomb KV 20. In 1903-4, Howard Carter of the Egyptian Antiquities Service discovered this sarcophagus during Theodore M. Davis excavations in the Valley of the Kings. It was assigned to Theodore M. Davis in the division of finds by the Egyptian government and later given to the Museum of Fine Arts by Theodore M. Davis. Photography and photogrammetry were provided by Zhejiang University.