Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1907 — Ancient Coffins. [ARTICLE]

Ancient Coffins.

The coffins of the ancient Egyptians were made of marble and stone. The Romans used similar receptacles for their dead, and Alexander the Great Is said to have been buried in a coffin of solid gold. In parts of England glass coffins have been found. The Athenian heroes were buried In coffins made of cedar, owing to Its aromatic and incorruptible qualities, while the first record of wooden coffins in England dates back to the days of King Arthur. This monarch was supposed to have been buried in the hollowed trunk of a gigantic oak. Patent coffins were Invented in 1796, and metallic air tight coffins were advertised at Birmingham in 1861.