In 1891 the Egyptian Antiquities Service made one of the most important discoveries in the history of Egyptology: the burial place of 153 priests of Amun, now famously known as Bab el-Gasus – Gate of the Priests.
The vast corpus of coffins and other funerary equipment from this site was divided into 17 lots and distributed as gifts to the Unites States, various European countries, and Turkey, for display in their museums.
At a time when most Egyptian collections were relatively modest, the influx of such a large number of coffins, dominating exhibitions, shaped the modern (mis)perception of ancient Egypt as a culture preoccupied with death.
Simultaneously, this distribution provided the discipline of Egyptology with a unique opportunity for foundational research, in particular in the field of the so-called yellow-type coffins.
Roughly 130 years after the discovery of Bab el-Gasus, this presentation critically examines the current state of coffin studies, tracing major advancements and highlighting gaps in research. By focusing on Lot XV, housed in the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels, this study presents a targeted approach to contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the Bab el-Gasus complex.