Egyptians are commonly recognized to practice detailed rituals during the time of burial. Among the various items used for performing rituals, the Canopic jar chests found an important place. Many organs were removed from the corpse, before it was mummified. These organs were kept in Canopic jars, which were again kept in a Canopic chest. This chest was then kept near the tomb in a sacred area called the Canopic shrine.

For the ancient Egyptians, it was a common belief that if the dead was willing, it could get back to the body, necessitating the preservation of the body including the internal parts. To be able to preserve the body, a lengthy and complicated procedure was performed, and the resultant mummy was placed in the tomb. It required a number of days to complete the task. Along the way, the internal parts had to be removed and put in the Canopic jars that were further put in the Canopic chest.

It was in the second Dynasty that using Canopic chests originated. Over the days the Canopic jar chests were modified every now and then depicting several types of designs. They were in use until the beginning of the Ptolemaic period.

One of the first Canopic burials was proved to have taken place in the fourth Dynasty, during the reign of Menkaure. It was found in the tomb of Queen Meresankh III at Giza. A number of other Canopic burials were found in the tombs that belong to the Sneferu reign.

In the very first Canopic jars, the organs that were taken off the corpse were secured in wooden boxes. In some other instances, they were kept in stone jars or in pottery and closed with flat or dome-shaped lids. The chests were either designed by cutting out from soft stone, or were cut appropriately into the wall or ground of the specified tomb.

Around the sixth Dynasty, granite was utilized in making the Canopic jar chests. Around the eighteenth century, cartonnage, wood, limestone, calcite and numerous other materials were used to make these Canopic jar chests.

Through the years, the Canopic jars wherein the organs of the corpse were kept were also modified. At first these jars were made of stone and covered with flat lids. These were then modified to have dome-shaped lids.

In due course, Egyptians worked with various kinds of materials to make the Canopic jars. The four most important internal organs specifically, the intestines, stomach, lungs and liver were put in the Canopic jars. Each organ was divinely ascribed to a particular deity.

Over time, many modifications of the Canopic jars were conceptualized, but some were applied to them. In some jars the lids were sculpted to portray jackal heads. This was supposed to portray the four sons of Horus. Every organ was related to a son, and they were given protection by another Egyptian deity possessing more power.