Shoshenq II was the third pharaoh of Egypt’s Twenty-second Dynasty, reigning from around 890 BC during the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt.
He was interred in the antechamber of Psusennes I‘s tomb at Tanis and remains the sole pharaoh of this dynasty whose tomb escaped looting. Pierre Montet discovered his tomb in 1939, unearthing a trove of jewelry: a gold funerary mask, a silver sarcophagus featuring a falcon’s head, amulets, and other precious artifacts.
Silver coffin of King Shoshenq II
The silver coffin of King Shoshenq II portrays the falcon god Soker and is accompanied by four canopy silver coffins. These smaller coffins were crafted to house the king’s internal organs, taking the place of traditional canopic jars.
Resembling miniature sarcophagi, they depict the king adorned with the royal Nemes headdress, crowned by a uraeus, a king cobra, intended for his protection.
Gold Mask of Shoshenq II
Shoshenq II’s death mask, discovered on his mummified remains, sustained significant damage. Crafted from a thick gold sheet, the mask features hollow spaces for the eyes and eyebrows, where glass paste was originally inserted.
It was affixed to the mummy using five small perforated tenons—three on the forehead and two below the ears. The facial features reflect the king in a youthful likeness, aligning with ancient Egyptian artistic conventions that symbolize the deceased’s resurrection in their youthful prime.
Regarding his burial, a medical examination of Shoshenq II’s mummy by Dr. Derry indicated that the king succumbed to a severe septic infection stemming from a head wound.
Scientific analysis of certain plants found at the base of the coffin suggests that Shoshenq II’s original tomb might have been flooded, prompting the urgent decision to entomb him with his belongings in Psusennes I’s tomb.
