The main purpose was to store the dead body's organs, in order to make sure that the person had them for their afterlife. The heart was often left inside the body as it was believed that it would need to be weighed in the afterlife.

As mentioned previously, canopic jars were first developed during the 4th Dynasty (Old Kingdom, ca. 2600 BC) by the ancient Egyptians. They have been found in tombs, as the jars were placed in the tombs with the bodies.

For me, it raises questions about the afterlife. Why would a deceased person need their organs to pass over in the afterlife? What use is the physical body anymore to them, if the afterlife is to be believed? According to my research, canopic jars represent how much ancient Egyptians believed in immortality, and not being restrictive to this physical world (beyond the 5 senses). They believed that life would continue after death and that they would still need their physical bodies. Thus, preserving bodies in as lifelike a way as possible was the goal of mummification, and essential to the continuation of life. The Egyptians believed that the mummified body housed one's soul or spirit. If the body was destroyed, the spirit could be lost and not make its entrance into the afterlife. 

They are found in many households, especially in the Indian culture since it is derived from Hindu history and a lot of people till date keep and use it in their houses, especially during festivals such as Diwali etc.

This tells and helps us understand the significance of this sound in the history of Hinduism and nowadays, the shankha is blown at the time of worship in Hindu temples and homes, especially in the ritual of the Hindu aarti, when light is offered to the deities. The shankha is also used to bathe images of deities, especially Vishnu, and for ritual purification. It might raise doubts as to how this may convey good luck and prosperity and what is the reasoning behind it’s hype. They were made in the late 15th century by Sikhs in Punjab.

Aforementioned, this object is most meaningful to those from the Hindu culture or those who stay in India, since it’s history is derived from there since they believe it promotes prosperity and good luck to ones lifestyle and family.

 

Connection to KQ:
I do not believe that knowledge always requires some kind of rational basis for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons is religion / culture (1st TOK concept), as it often finds its reasonings that are inexplicable. Whether it be miracles or blessings, there is no scientific method of proving them.

One of the major examples of this is the afterlife, specifically how the ancient Egyptians interpreted (2nd TOK concept) this concept through the use of the canopic jars (chosen object). They represent knowledge about the afterlife that the ancient Egyptians believed in [2], as they were used to preserve determined organs of the body ready for the afterlife. They believed that the preservation of the body was essential in order to enjoy eternal life [4]. Their interpretation led them to remove these internal organs and preserve them in these special jars.

It may not be rational for some people to believe that the preservation of the physical body after death is required to enter the afterlife [1].; however, it was the beliefs of their culture that led made it rational for them. The ancient Egyptians believed that life on earth was only one part of an eternal journey which ended, not in death, but in everlasting joy.

This is how not all knowledge needs rational basis, as seen through examples of religion and culture, in which interpretation was left open.

Citations:
1. Dunham, Will. “Who's Your Mummy? Egyptian Mummification Older than Was Thought.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 13 Aug. 2014, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-mummies-idINKBN0GD1PU20140813. 

2. “Egyptian Canopic Jars: What Are Canopic Jars?” Memphis Tours, https://www.memphistours.com/Egypt/WikiTravel/History-Egypt/wiki/Ancient-Egyptian-Canopic-Jars. 

3. Garlinghouse, Tom. “Mummification: The Lost Art of Embalming the Dead.” LiveScience, Purch, 4 Nov. 2021, https://www.livescience.com/mummification.html. 

4. Miller, Lisa. “Beyond Death: The Science of the Afterlife.” Time, Time, 20 Apr. 2014, https://time.com/68381/life-beyond-death-the-science-of-the-afterlife-2/.
5. Sarkar, Donna. “The Mummification Process: How Ancient Egyptians Preserved Bodies for the Afterlife.” Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2021, https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-mummification-process-how-ancient-egyptians-preserved-bodies-for-the. 

In my opinion, knowledge does not have to always have some kind of rational basis, and objects can be created with personal belief, instinct feelings, and intuitions due to personal experiences faced. Religion and culture are two of the most essential factors that influence this which results in people thinking from that perspective only, without any factual theory or reasoning behind it. Other than faith and intuition there is no other factual evidence that can support the same. 

An example of this is the object chosen by me which is the conch shell is how this was used and kept in a lot of people's houses as a significance of prosperity, and washing off negative energy in houses. No other evidence other than faith and intuition support this and other than these cultural beliefs, there is no factual knowledge that supports the same. The sound given off by the shell might be pleasant, but there is no such evidence that it helps with prosperity or good luck. Therefore, it is not necessary for knowledge to always require some kind of rational basis.

“Vastu Tips for Keeping Shankha at Home.” Www.makaan.com, www.makaan.com/iq/video/home-sutra-they-many-benefits-of-keeping-conch-shell-at-home. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.

“SHANKH.” INDIAN CULTURE, indianculture.gov.in/musical-instruments/sushir-vadya/shankh. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.

McLeod, William Hewat. “Sikhism | History, Doctrines, Practice, & Literature.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 7 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism.

Don't Look Away: Discover the Meaning and History of the Evil Eye, Travel Atelier, https://travelatelier.com/blog/meaning-history-evil-eye/. 

N/A. “What Is Kako Mati? 7 Facts about the Greek Evil Eye.” What Is Kako Mati? 7 Facts about the Greek Evil Eye, n.d., https://evil-eye.shop/greek-evil-eye.html. 

“Olive.” EVERY OLIVE TREE HAS A STORY..., The Present Tree, 26 Mar. 2020, https://thepresenttree.com/blogs/tree-meanings/olive-tree-meaning. 
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "evil eye". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Aug. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/evil-eye. Accessed 17 October 2022.