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Primary sourceDocumentca. 1328-1318 BCE

Seal Impression from Tutankhamun's Embalming Cache

ca. 1328-1318 BCE

A fragment of mud bearing a seal impression from the burial cache connected to Tutankhamun's embalming materials.

This seal impression comes from the embalming cache connected to Tutankhamun's burial.

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Photograph of a small, irregular fragment of grey clay with a partially preserved seal impression showing incised design lines, and a reddish edge along its right side, centered on a plain light grey background.
Fragmentary seal impression from Tutankhamun's embalming cache, ca. 1328-1318 BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This small, irregular fragment of mud carries part of a seal impression with incised design lines. It comes from the embalming cache associated with Tutankhamun's reign, dating to around 1328-1318 BCE, and is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Seals like this were used to mark and secure containers holding materials from the embalming process after a pharaoh's death. Even a small fragment like this helps historians understand the careful rituals surrounding royal burial in ancient Egypt, and how officials controlled and documented sacred materials.

Look closer

  • Why would embalming materials need to be sealed?
  • What might the design on the seal have represented?
  • What does a small fragment like this teach us, even though most of the object is missing?

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