Introduction
The ancient Egyptians had an elaborate set of burial customs, believed were necessary to ensure their immortality after death. These rituals and protocols included mummification, casting of magic spells, and burial with specific grave goods thought to be needed in the afterlife. The burial process used by the ancient Egyptians evolved throughout time as old customs were discarded and new ones adopted, but some important elements of the process persisted. Although specific details changed over time, the preparation of the body, the magic rituals involved, and the grave goods provided were all essential parts of a proper Egyptian funeral.
Reasons for Mummification
Keeping the body of an individual intact after death was necessary so that the Egyptian soul and personality (ka and ba) would have a place to live after death. The ba and ka would reunite with the akh to live a peaceful afterlife, for eternity. It was important that in death, the body look as normal as possible so that the ba and ka could find its akh. The ancient Egyptians used mummification to prevent the dead body from decaying. It continued to be practiced until the demise of the ancient Egyptian religion. Mortuary services were available to anyone who could pay for them, but only rich ones could afford better services. Mummification was actually only available to the rich until the methods became easier and less time consuming. The average mummification process for a queen or king was 70 days.
Practice
The basic process involved laying the body on a flat board, and cutting a slit in the abdomen. In an elaborate mummification, this might be performed by a priest wearing a jackal mask to represent Anubis, the deity associated with mummification and the guardian of the Necropolis. Then the body would be washed inside and out with palm wine. The lungs, liver, intestines, and the stomach were removed, mummified separately, and put into canopic jars. The heart was left intact because Egyptians believed this is where the essence of a person resided. The ancient Egyptians did not think that the brain was a vital part of the body, so the brain would be removed.
The body cavity and the separate parts might then be washed with palm wine again. The body was then placed in natron for about 40 days, with packets of natron placed inside the chest cavity. Natron dehydrated the body, which, combined with the high salt concentration, prevented bacterial activity within the dead body.
The mummy was then wrapped in many layers of linen strips, sealed to the body by tar or resin. Magic amulets were put in the folds, believed to protect the body from evil spirits and navigate the journey through the afterlife. The entire process was completed in 70 days, after which the mummy was sent to the dead person's family for burial.
Funerary Boats
Funerary Boats are known to be part of Egyptian funerary practices. Boats are crucial in religion because they were conceived as the main means by which the gods travelled across the sky and through the netherworld. One type of boat used at funerals was for making pilgrimages to holy sites such as Abydos.
Burial goods
From the earliest periods of Egyptian history, all Egyptians were buried with at least some burial goods which they thought necessary after death. At a minimum, these usually consisted of everyday objects such as bowls, combs, and other trinkets, along with food. Wealthier Egyptians could afford to be buried with jewellery, furniture, and other valuables, which made them targets of tomb robbers. Mummies were also equipped with the Weres headrest amulet which were magical amulets that were designed to protect the mummy's head.
A Selection of Shabti Statues
In the New Kingdom, some of the old burial customs changed. For example, an anthropoid coffin shape became standardized, and the deceased were provided with a small shabti statue, which the Egyptians believed would perform work for them in the afterlife. Elite burials were often filled with objects of daily use. Although the types of burial goods changed throughout ancient Egyptian history, their functions to protect the deceased and provide sustenance in the afterlife remained a common purpose.
References
1. ^ Digital Egypt, Burial customs
2. ^ http://web.olivet.edu/gradusers/hgerth/leeanne.htm retrieved November 26, 2007
3. ^ Digital Egypt, Pyramid texts
4. ^ Digital Egypt, Book of the dead
5. ^ Grajetzki: Burial Customs, p. 7-14
6. ^ Grajetzki: Burial Customs, p. 15-26
• Digital Egypt, an outstanding source of information
• http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/LifeScience/CollectionPreservation
/Mummification/EgyptianMummification/EgyptianMummification.htm
• Wolfram Grajetzki: Burial Customs in Ancient Egypt: Life in Death for Rich and Poor.
Duckworth: London 2003 ISBN 0715632175
• John Taylor: Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press. 2001
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