Egypt A sarcophagus is the coffin holder for royal mummies, decorated ornately and designed to protect for eternity. Sarcophagi were most often designed to remain above ground. The earliest stone sarcophagi were used by Egyptian pharaohs of the 3rd dynasty, which reigned from about 2686 to 2613 B.C. This replica is hand cast from gypsum and brightly painted by artisans in Egypt.
