Image Gallery
Mummy Portrait from the Tomb of Aline at Hawara
Mummy portrait from the Tomb of Aline, Hawara. Early Roman Period of Egypt, c. 24 CE.
Neues Museum, Berlin.
The Tomb of Aline was unearthed in 1892 by the German archaeologist Richard von Kaufmann. 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. Because the mummy is still intact and not opened, it was initially thought that this mummy represents a boy, not a girl. However, recent analysis of the portrait has shown that the child is female and is identified as one of Aline's daughters. The chubby-faced girl wears a leather band with a lunula pendant around her neck; a type of apotropaic amulets commonly worn by women or girls in Roman Egypt. The girl wears a violet chiton, partially fallen, exposing her left shoulder; a feature exclusive to females and associated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
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."
