Exploration of Egyptian Mummies
Many ancient civilizations believed in life after death. We identify
mumification with ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians - during the
time of the dynasties - believed that mummification would guarantee
the soul passage into the next life.
Some believed that the dead lived on in the tomb. While others thought
of the dead as having gone to a blessed afterworld in some far-distant
place. That being the case they provided for both worlds. In no other
civilization have such elaborate preparations for the afterlife been
made in the preservation of the dead.
In addition to his ba (body) and his ka (spirit guide) - an Egyptian
had a soul, which flew away at death. Mant cults believed that the
soul was a human-headed bird with the face of the deceased. During
life the soul had resided within the body - probably in the belly or
in the heart--but after death it flew freely about the world, taking
refuge in the tomb at night, when evil spirits might be about. But in
order to find the right tomb, it was necessary that the soul be able
to recognize the body from which it had come. Hence the body of the
deceased was preserved in the best possible way. It was mummified.
The word 'mummy' is not of Egyptian origin, but is derived from the
Arabic 'mumiyah,' which means 'body preserved by wax or bitumen'; This
term was used because of an Arab misconception of the methods used by
the Egyptians in preserving their dead.
The actual process of embalming as practiced in ancient Egypt was
governed by definite religious ritual. A period of seventy days was
required for the preparation of the mummy, and each step in the
procedure was co-ordinated with relevant priestly ceremonies.
The embalmers' shop might be a fixed place, as in the case of those
connected with the larger temples. Often, however, it was a movable
tent - which could be set up near the home of the deceased.
Removal of those parts most subject to putrefaction was the initial
Ancient Egyptian culture was largely focused on the afterlife. One of their most important deities, Osiris, became the ruler of the Underworld through death. The pharaoh and elite class prepared for their impending deaths throughout their lives. Much of what survives from ancient Egypt today was found in tombs and temples of the dead. When one of the elite died, the process of laying him or her to rest was extensive. Harold Hays explains that “the ritualized process of embalming and mummification is usually stated as lasting seventy days” (Hays 5). "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" shows two of the processes that Hays details. The first depicted is the procession to the tomb. Pairy’s body would have already been through several processions, mummification, and embalming. This particular procession’s goal is to lead not just the body, but also the spirit into the afterlife. People of both high and low classes attended this procession, carrying with them the tomb goods (Hays 6-7). The second depicted
The Egyptians during this period took ample time and detail on the mummification process to ensure a successful transition from the netherworld to rebirth. The Coffin of Tentkhonsu, 1025-980 B.C., it’s a depiction of how the Egyptians valued and honored their elite members of society, as well as their gods. The Coffin of Tentkhonsu, itself dates back to the III intermediate period in Egyptian culture. The Egyptian believe was to join Osiris, whom was believed to have ascended to Netherworld and accomplished eternal life.
The funerary rituals introduced by the Egyptians were the most intricate, spiritual rites in their times and, perhaps, even to this day. Their elaborate customs, tombs, and gifts to the dead were representative of their pious, devoted nature. Albeit not all were as imposing as the oldest and still remaining Seven Wonder of the World, the Pyramids of Giza, all were meaningful and sacred. The Egyptians, highly reverent of their dead, adopted ornate, religious burial practices to fit to every member of their society.
One of the most famous aspects of ancient Egyptian religion are their beliefs about death and life after death. They believed that after they died, their hearts were weighed by Anubis, the god of mummification and the afterlife. If they had lived good lives, their life force (also referred to as Ka) could join up with their soul. If they lived bad lives, the two forces had to be separated forever which was an extremely bad thing. One of their well-known practices was putting food and personal belongings into the tomb with the mummy before the tomb was sealed. They believed that the soul had survived with these things during the person’s life so they needed them to survive in the afterlife as well. Their strong belief in death and the afterlife resulted in them being so deeply attached to their homeland that they rejected prolonged military operations beyond their borders because they feared that they would die on foreign soil and they would not be given the proper rites for their continued journey after life. (Mark
Egypt is a big rich historical country in northeast Africa, its included in the region known as the middle east and its capital Cairo. Ancient Egypt which is commonly known for its rich cultural heritage has undergone several cultural changes from pre-historic times. This paper will explore burial practices and artifacts associated with those practices. The physical body was preserved properly because of the believe in afterlife which was an important funerary practice.
A common question many civilizations shared and strived to answer was about death and the afterlife. In Ancient Egypt, the lives of many citizens centered around a prosperous future in death. In fact, Ancient Egyptians believed life continued on in death. For this reason, they yearned to live justly as citizens of Egypt. If not, then the gods would deem them unworthy of entering heaven, or paradise. This was Ancient Egypt, a society seemingly obsessed with the afterlife and enriched with funeral practices. Their worship of pharaohs and gods, detailed inscriptions about mummification, and elaborate tombs influenced their constant strive towards achieving everlasting peace in the afterlife.
were 10 doors and at end there was a statue of Osiris, the god of the
The ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife where the body will still be needed there, they will perceive and embalm their deceased in order to have an afterlife, the corpse of the person will be repossessed and the process is called mummification. Jeremiah (2012) stated, it is believed that the body of the deceased has to be taken care in order to prevent the body from decaying. Mummification is a process to preserve the flesh and skin of a corpse and this process takes seventy days to be done. The Egyptians use large cloth which is linen to cover the corpse in order to protect the body from rotting. According to Dawson (1927), it appears that in the Canary Islands mummification was mainly done for chiefs and the wealthier classes. The poor were buried either in caves or in the earth without artificial preservation since they could not afford to pay the service, offered by embalmers. There are three major steps in mummification which are, evisceration followed by, desiccation and the final step are wrapping the mummy.
The Egyptians were marvelous masters at preserving bodies. Bodies at which are still intact for the most part today. The skin and other soft tissue is not there as they would not last all this time in a tomb. These bodie...
In the ancient Egyptian culture, the belief was that there was a life force and spirit inside of the body, known as the ‘Ka’. Therefore, mummification was performed as a ritual to preserve the physical features of the body as well as to protect its inner spirit, mainly to ensure that the ‘Ka’ could recognize the body where it may dwell in the eternal life. Thus, the funerary psychology of ancient Egyptians was that death did not bring an end to living, but instead was only an escape from the physical human life and a gateway to immortal being. Due to the fact that a being’s life span was short in ancient times, people’s main hopes rested in their afterlives, where they would be with the gods (Stockstad 121).
About four and a half thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians started a tradition that would last for thousands of years. The practice of preserving the bodies of the dead was both ritualistic and spiritual. Their intricate burial procedures and elaborate tombs were also a crucial part of laying the deceased to rest.
Thus, the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt stemmed directly from their religion. Egyptian theology, with its deified pharaohs and strange animal-headed gods, was complicated, but the most important belief was that survival after death depended upon the preservation of the body. This belief would influence the architectural design of the tomb, where the corpse was ultimately sealed (Silverman:142, 1997). Immortality was only for privileged royal and priestly beings (Stierlin:54, 1983).This implies that their tombs would be somewhat prestigious and not just and ordinary burial site. At the day of resurrection the Ka or soul would re-enter the dead body; this meant that it must be there, intact, ready for that moment. It followed logically, that 'once the corpse was embalmed or mummified, it must be preserved in an impregnable tomb.
Deep in the abysmal, rocky contours of modern-day Luxor’s western bank, a collection of dry beds host the Wadi Bidan el-Muluk, otherwise known as the Valley of the Kings (Hawass 9). Here, Ancient Egyptian workers had toiled through scorching desert heat to create a series of tombs that would house the physical bodies of their pharaohs. The choice of isolation for this complex of wadis, their towering and mammoth architecture, as well as the detailed, colorful decoration depict the significance of the tombs to the Ancient Egyptians. Built during Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom, there are 63 known tombs, most housing the bodies and possessions of renowned pharaohs and god-kings (Hawass 24). With every new archaeological discovery and breakthrough regarding the Valley of the Kings, our understanding of Ancient Egypt continues to flourish. Without debate, the Valley of the Kings – the most majestic and culture-rich burial ground of the world – should be the museum’s next main exhibit because it remains the most important and insightful look into the life, culture, and religion of the Ancient Egyptians.
The ancient Egyptian burial practices are fundamental to the beliefs of ancient Egyptians. There are many different forms of burial practices; however the main form of practice of ancient Egyptians was the mummification process as seen in source B. Through the use of source B along with other sources, the following response will analyse the ancient Egyptian burial practices.
The term Homo sapiens (‘wise man’) that had been coined by Carolus Linnaeus was made to highlight the superiority of men in all the Kingdom Animalia, specifying the high level of intelligence and intellect of the entire species. However, an advanced and complex structure of a group of humans that flourish and exhibit a large extension of progress is called a civilization (Bartlett, 2012).