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Mummified Girl from the Tomb of Aline
This girl, 6 or 7 years old at the time of death, was one of Aline's daughters and was found in the Tomb of Aline at Hawara, Faiyum, Egypt. The mummies of this girl and her father (Aline's husband) were covered with a mummy masks, not with a mummy portrait (unlike the mummies of Aline and the two other younger girls within the same tomb). This mummy was initially thought to be a young woman because it is larger than the other two girls from the tomb.
Early Roman period of Egypt, c. 24 CE. It is on display at the Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany. The tomb of Aline was unearthed in 1892 CE by the German archaeologist Richard von Kaufmann (1850 - 1908 CE). A hewn stele carved with a Greek inscription mentions the name Aline as the owner of the tomb; the grave was named after this woman's name.
Questions & Answers
How did the ancient Egyptians view death and the afterlife?
- The ancient Egyptians viewed death as a transition of the soul from the earthly plane to the next realm. Life was understood as an eternal journey, only part of which was lived on earth.
What is the afterlife called in ancient Egypt?
- The afterlife in ancient Egypt was known as the Field of Reeds and was understood as a mirror image of one's life on earth where one would live in the presence of the gods.
Who was the Judge of the Dead in ancient Egypt?
- The god Osiris was the Judge of the Dead in ancient Egypt.
What is the Egyptian Book of the Dead?
- The Egyptian Book of the Dead is an instruction manual for the soul after death to help it navigate the afterlife and find its way to the paradise of the Field of Reeds. It is not in any way the "Egyptian Bible."
