The Etruscans were a civilization that reigned in Italy before the Roman Empire. Prior to the foundation of Rome in 509 BCE, the Etruscans ruled as a monarchy.
The ancient Egyptians are one of the older agricultural civilizations, starting as a river valley civilization in 3,100 BCE until it was incorporated into the Roman Empire.
Both the Etruscans and Egyptians used burial urns and sarcophagi. Burial urns are used to store cremated remains, and sarcophagi are stone coffins that house the deceased. Egyptian burial urns could be used for either cremated remains or particular organs; these were known as canopic jars and often featured the heads of some of their gods, like Horus or Ra. Etruscan burial urns could also function as holders for cremated remains or organs, but unlike the Egyptian urns, it displayed their human's image as opposed to one of a deity.
The Etruscan sarcophagus, however, is more animated than their Egyptian counterparts. The Etruscan sarcophagus, true to Etruscan art, focuses more on liveliness and energy; many Etruscan artworks and potteries feature figures dancing (see image linked below). Etruscan sarcophagi sometimes feature a couple as opposed to a single person. In one famous Etruscan sarcophagus, called "Sarcophagus of the Spouses," the couple is sitting up and holding one another almost as if they are in bed, looking out in the distance. In another, a couple in laying down together, staring at one another, as if in bed. I've attached a quick google search link to see these sarcophagi.
Egyptian sarcophagi are more serious in tone, flatter, and the subject is laying down facing upwards. Unlike the Etruscan sarcophagi, Egyptian ones can be more decorated, with gold and other jewels and dyes, used to signify importance. More important sarcophagi, like the ones of pharaohs, are portrayed with a mask and wrapped beard.
https://www.google.com/search?q=etruscan+sarcophagus&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjTlP_OwIvmAhWSFd8KHXueCNoQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=etruscan+sarcophagus&gs_l=img.3..0l7j0i8i30l3.37928.40103..40258...0.0..0.122.818.10j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i67.qBx6GL0CUfk&ei=UQ
While the ancient Etruscans and Egyptians had very different cultures and religious practices, their funerary art does indeed share a number of notable characteristics. For one thing, they both placed a very heavy focus on depicting life beyond death. Both cultures viewed death as just the first step on a long journey to the world of the dead. Consequently, their burial practices were done to please the souls of the dead and help speed them along on their journies. The Egyptians believed that lifelike and accurate funerary masks helped the deceased find acceptance by the gods once they reached the afterlife. The Etruscans also believed that lifelike imagery depicting the dead helped them reach the afterlife. Offerings, such as food and jewels, were also left in tombs, which, it was believed, could help the dead on their journey.
Of course, being such different cultures in most regards, there are striking differences. Etruscan funerary art often depicts scenes that reflect everyday life. It is thought that the Etruscans believed that happy scenes of life would please the dead and free them to leave the world of the living. The Egyptians, on the other hand, used imagery that of the journey to the afterlife itself. It was believed that the deceased could use this as a map or guide on their journey.
While both cultures had elaborate funeral rites and beliefs about the soul's journey to the afterlife, there are two key differences between them. For one thing, the Egyptians wanted to preserve the corpse as much as possible. The body was considered important, even after life had left it. The Etruscans did not care as much since they cremated their dead.
The artistic styles used for funerary art are different. Images on Etruscan tombs and sarcophagi emphasize liveliness. One famous Etruscan sarcophagus called the Sarcophagus of the Spouses features a couple in a relaxed, affectionate pose. Compare this to the images seen in Egyptian tombs, which are two dimensional and formal. The art there seeks to immortalize the dead's deeds rather than emphasize how they were in daily life.
There are several similarities that can be found between the funeral practices of the Etruscans and the Ancient Egyptians. Both cultures placed heavy emphasis on death and the afterlife. As such, heavy emphasis and importance was placed on the care of the dead and the process of preparing the dead for each cultures' ideas of the afterlife. Both cultures left offerings for their dead loved ones in order for them to be well prepared on their journey to the afterlife. Both the Etruscans and the Ancient Egyptians took great care to decorate and adorn the burial tombs of their dead loved ones.
While the Ancient Egyptians practiced mummification, the Etruscans actually cremated their dead, but ultimately put the cremated remains in elaborately designed sarcophaguses. The Etruscans believed that in order for their loved ones to pass on to the afterlife, that they must be pleased with the decorations of their tombs. Or else, the dearly departed may end up haunting the mortals who failed to properly decorate their sarcophaguses. As such, the Etruscans painted elaborate and intricately designed scenes of lavish banquets and festivities upon the tombs in order to give their departed loved ones that best chance of reaching a happy after life.
The Etruscan and Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife were somewhat similar, and this is reflected in similarities in their burial and funerary practices. Both societies could be said to have had an obsession with death, and their cultural approach to the dead should be seen through this lens. Both societies featured burial elements that were quite elaborate: carefully constructed tombs, lavishly decorated sarcophagi, and extensive rituals involving the preparation of the dead.
The fundamental difference between the two cultures was the process of mummification. Etruscan funerary rights did not really involve mummification to the same degree as in Egypt. The Egyptians turned mummification into a science. The process, which took about two months, involved special salts to dry the body, the preservation of the organs in canopic jars, and the embalming and wrapping of the body in layers of resin and linen laced with gems and jewels. The Etruscan approach was less elaborate in this respect, and many bodies were cremated. The decoration of the coffins (sarcophagi) was also quite different—more artistic and sculptural in Etruscan culture and more representational in Egyptian.
Interestingly, there is another unexpected connection between the two cultures as regards funerary practices. The longest extant Etruscan text, the Liber Linteus, was actually written on linen and remains preserved because it was used to wrap an Egyptian mummy in the Ptolemaic period.
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