Hypocephalus

For the beetle genus, see Hypocephalus armatus.
Not to be confused with Hydrocephalus.
Hypocephalus of Tasheritkhons inscribed with Chapter 162 of the Book of the Dead, on display at the British Museum

A hypocephalus is a small disk-shaped object generally made of stuccoed linen,[1] but also of papyrus,[2] bronze, gold, wood, or clay, which ancient Egyptians from the Late Period onwards placed under the heads of their dead. The circle was believed to magically protect the deceased and cause the head and body to be enveloped in light and warmth,[3] making the deceased divine. It replaced the earlier cow-amulet.[2]

  1. ^ British Museum Dept. of Egyptian Antiquities, A General Introductory Guide to the Egyptian Collections in the British Museum, Published by Trustees of the British Museum, 1971, p.146
  2. ^ a b William Matthew Flinders Petrie, Edward Russell Ayrton, Charles Trick Currelly, Arthur Edward Pearse Brome Weigall, Abydos, 1902, p.50
  3. ^ Geraldine Pinch, Magic in ancient Egypt, University of Texas Press, 1995, p.157