Controversy over ancient Egyptian granite sarcophagus carved using laser

CAIRO – 12 May 2022: Over the past days, a picture of a sculpture, which was  said to be a 4,000-year-old pharaonic sarcophagus made of granite, circulated on social media platforms and garnered tens of thousands of interactions.

The sarcophagus drew a lot of attention as it was claimed that such work of art is only possible through laser technology.

Thousands of people interacted with the picture on Facebook and Twitter, but some questioned its authenticity, as it contained scientific errors.

Firstly, the covering of the statue cannot be 4,000 years old. The circulating picture showed a stone sarcophagus of Minister Jimenvirbak of the 26th dynasty that ruled Egypt between the sixth and seventh centuries BC. Accordingly, the age of the statue cannot be more than 2,700 years, and not 4,000 as was stated on social media posts.

Secondly, it is not made of granite, but of another type of stone. As confirmed by Sherif al-Saifi, a researcher specializing in Egyptology, the sarcophagus is not made of granite, but rather of diorite, which is harder and more solid than granite.

And finally, experts agreed that it does not necessarily require the use of laser technology to make such engraving as the publishers of this information claimed, according to AFP.

This carved sarcophagus is on display in the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy.