Egyptians and their belief in the afterlife.
Explain how the beliefs and values of the ancient society are evident in practices related to death and funerary customs.
How did the ancient Egyptians view death?
Source 2: Egyptian illustration showing the weighing of the heart ceremony before Osiris (the god of the afterlife) The ancient Egyptians believed that when they died their spirit would continue to exist and live in the afterlife that was very similar to the world in... read more
Preserving the Body: Embalming
Preservation of the body was believed by the ancient Egyptians to be necessary to travel to the afterlife. They thought that the dead person would repossess their body and that it needed to be recognizable for this to happen. It was most often done for more important... read more
The Sarcophagus
Source one: Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen A sarcophagus was the outside of a royal mummy’s coffin. The sarcophagus was made to give protection to the deceased and to stop tomb robbers from attempting to rob the coffin. It was usually in a human shape because it... read more
The Pyramids of Egypt
Source one: The pyramid fields in Egypt Pyramids were burial tombs for Egyptian kings and Pharaohs. The pyramids were built to protect the Pharaoh and kings and it was believed to make them immortal. They were most commonly made of limestone because it was a common... read more
The Valley of the Kings
Source one: photo of Valley of the Kings located on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, Egypt The ‘Valley Of The Kings’ is a valley located in Egypt where the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs and powerful nobles were constructed. After around 1500 B.C the Pharaohs stopped... read more