Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
Location
City/Town
Modern Country
Egypt
Culture
Roman-Egyptian
Site Type
Catacombs
Description
This site has Alexandrian tombs, statues, and Egyptian funeral objects with Imperial Roman influences. Many of the features and sculptures have roman, Greek, and Egyptian influence. For example, a statue will be created in an Egyptian-style, but have Roman clothes and hair styles. Many pottery sherds were found here, most likely left behind by visitors of the tombs for the dead. There were three levels of this structure, but the third one is now completely underwater. There are three sarcophagi with non-removable covers along the sides of the main chamber. They are decorated with garlands and Greek mythological gods. The central panel of one of the sarcophagi illustrates a great example of the combination of the different cultures. The relief depicts the Egyptian god, Anubis, wearing a Roman soldier uniform, who is mummifying a body on a lion bed.
Key Words
Tomb
Catacombs
Sarcophagus
Relief
Anubis