Canopic Jars were small, carved vessels made by the ancient Egyptians. They were used during the process of mummification to preserve the vital organs of the dead for use in the afterlife. Each mummy would have four jars, one each for the intestines, liver, lungs, and stomach, and each jar had a distinctive lid:
- Hapi, the baboon-headed god representing the north, whose jar contained the lungs and was protected by the goddess Nephthys
- Duamutef, the jackal-headed god representing the east, whose jar contained the stomach and was protected by the goddess Neith
- Imseti, the human-headed god representing the south, whose jar contained the liver and was protected by the goddess Isis
- Qebehsenuef, the falcon-headed god representing the west, whose jar contained the intestines and was protected by the goddess Serqet.[9]
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopic_jar
Fifth graders enjoyed learning about the customs and traditions of the ancient Egyptians as they made thier own unique jars out of clay. Some were based on important figures in Egyptian culture; others took creative liberties and made a jar with a figure from their own imagination.
