Ancient Egyptians Recycled Wood to Build Coffins, New Study

A coffin, part of a recent discovery from the Saqqara necropolis, is seen south of Cairo, Egypt January 17, 2021. REUTERS/Hanaa Habib
A coffin, part of a recent discovery from the Saqqara necropolis, is seen south of Cairo, Egypt January 17, 2021. REUTERS/Hanaa Habib
TT
20

Ancient Egyptians Recycled Wood to Build Coffins, New Study

A coffin, part of a recent discovery from the Saqqara necropolis, is seen south of Cairo, Egypt January 17, 2021. REUTERS/Hanaa Habib
A coffin, part of a recent discovery from the Saqqara necropolis, is seen south of Cairo, Egypt January 17, 2021. REUTERS/Hanaa Habib

The culture of recycling has become more common in our world to serve a more important goal: preserving the environment and preventing pollution. However, it seems ancient Egyptians practiced recycling thousands of years ago, according to a study of an ancient coffin stored at the Bologna Archaeological Museum.

The new study managed to form a deep understanding of the coffin’s falcon-like wooden structure inspired by Montu, God of war in Ancient Egypt.

Published in the February issue of the Journal of Imaging, the study was carried out by an Italian team including researchers from different fields led by Fauzia Albertin from the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Bologna.

To get the information and data they need, the team used different tools including radiocarbon dating to analyze the wood, and X-ray computed tomography to examine the manufacturing details and identify the types of wood.

The radiocarbon dating revealed that the studied coffin dating to the 15th-16th dynasty in Ancient Egypt, was made using a wooden board from an older coffin that dates to the New Kingdom of Egypt ruled by the 18th-19th dynasty (1539-1186 BC).

Concentrated samples taken from the wooden structure helped the researchers identify two timbers. All the samples taken from the coffin planks were found to be of Ficus sycomorus. All the connecting elements, both dowels and tenons, were found to be of Tamarix.

The local fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) has been frequently found in the identification of wood used for Egyptian coffins, particularly for wide and long coffin planks. Fig tree wood is light and easy to work with, an important feature for the tools available in that period.

The CT scan of the coffin revealed many details about its construction. The coffin assembly began with the joining of the two planks of the floorboard. On this planking, the single large planks of the sides were placed. The side planks and floorboard were probably glued together and later joined with long, round dowels inserted in opposing holes made in the thickness of the wood.

The team then moved on to the construction of another planking, the front of the lid, which was then affixed to the single large planks of the sides with long round dowels, to give strength to the obtained parallelepiped structure. The parallelepiped structure obtained was then closed at the ends, adding the planking of the upper head wall, as well as the feet, pedestal, and foot board.



SpaceX Starship Explodes During Routine Test

Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS
Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS
TT
20

SpaceX Starship Explodes During Routine Test

Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS
Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, US, June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS

One of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starships exploded during a routine test late Wednesday in Texas, law enforcement said, in the latest setback to the billionaire's dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species.

The Starship 36 suffered "catastrophic failure and exploded" at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 11:00 pm (0400 GMT Thursday), a Facebook post by the Cameron County authorities said, according to AFP.

A video shared with the post showed the megarocket attached to the launch arm, and then a flash and a towering, fiery explosion.

Musk's Space X said the rocket was preparing for the tenth flight test when it "experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," without elaborating on the nature of the complication.

"A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," Space X added on social media.

"There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue."

The Starship was not scheduled for launch on Wednesday evening when the explosion occurred during a "routine static fire test," according to the Cameron County authorities.

During a static fire, part of the procedures preceding a launch, the Starship's Super Heavy booster would be anchored to the ground to prevent it from lifting off during the test-firing.

Starbase on the south Texas coast, near the border with Mexico, is the headquarters for Musk's space project.

Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket and central to Musk's long-term vision of colonizing Mars.

The Starship is billed as a fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons.

The latest setback follows an explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May.

The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off on May 27 from the Starbase facility, but the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean.

But the failures will likely do little to dent Musk's spacefaring ambitions.

SpaceX has been betting that its "fail fast, learn fast" ethos, which has helped it dominate commercial spaceflight, will eventually pay off.

The company has caught the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower's giant robotic arms three times -- a daring engineering feat it sees as key to rapid reusability and slashing costs.

NASA is also increasingly reliant on SpaceX, whose Dragon spacecraft is vital for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early May approved an increase in annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25, stating that the increased frequency would not adversely impact the environment.

The decision overruled objections from conservation groups who had warned the expansion could endanger sea turtles and shorebirds.