How far back do ancient Egyptian burial practices go?

Ancient Egyptian burial practices date to at least the Predynastic Period, c. 6000 to c. 3150 BCE.

Why did the ancient Egyptians include so many grave goods in tombs?

Ancient Egyptians understood death as simply a transition from one state of being to another and the soul remaining intact after death. The soul would need the same kinds of items they had when they were on earth, and so grave goods were placed in the tombs.

What was the purpose of the shabti doll in Egyptian tombs?

The shabti doll was a magical figure who would come to life once one had passed over into the next world and would take one's place on work details for the god Osiris. Each shabti could only perform this task once, however, and so the more dolls one had the more time off one could expect in the afterlife.

Were animals mummified the same way as humans in ancient Egypt?

People's pets were given the same respectful treatment after death as their owners and were mummified and even provided with coffins and monuments.

A Gallery of Ancient Egyptian Tombs, Coffins, and Grave Goods (Image Gallery) p. 12

Invest in History Education

By supporting our charity World History Foundation, you're investing in the future of history education. Your donation helps us empower the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need to understand the world around them. Help us start the new year ready to publish more reliable historical information, free for everyone.

$3489 / $10000

Image Gallery

by Joshua J. Mark
published on 24 September 2024

Subscribe to topic Subscribe to author

Egyptian Painting of a Cat Killing a Serpent

by Charles K. Wilkinson
published on 04 March 2021

Subscribe to topic Subscribe to author

Egyptian Painting of a Cat Killing a Serpent — View Full-Size Image

A facsimile of a painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, in Deir el-Medina. The painting depicts a cat killing a serpent and is associated with a sequence in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The original painting was made c. 1295-1213 BCE. The facsimile pictured was painted by Charles K. Wilkinson c. 1920-1921.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

« Previous Image Next Image »

Images in this Gallery

Questions & Answers

How far back do ancient Egyptian burial practices go?: Ancient Egyptian burial practices date to at least the Predynastic Period, c. 6000 to c. 3150 BCE.
Why did the ancient Egyptians include so many grave goods in tombs?: Ancient Egyptians understood death as simply a transition from one state of being to another and the soul remaining intact after death. The soul would need the same kinds of items they had when they were on earth, and so grave goods were placed in the tombs.
What was the purpose of the shabti doll in Egyptian tombs?: The shabti doll was a magical figure who would come to life once one had passed over into the next world and would take one's place on work details for the god Osiris. Each shabti could only perform this task once, however, and so the more dolls one had the more time off one could expect in the afterlife.
Were animals mummified the same way as humans in ancient Egypt?: People's pets were given the same respectful treatment after death as their owners and were mummified and even provided with coffins and monuments.

Add External Link

External Links

Artifacts: Grave Goods, Mummification, Online Exhibits, Exhibits, Spurlock Museum, U of I

spurlock.illinois.edu

Tombs of Ancient Egypt

usf.edu

Burial customs of the New Kingdom

ucl.ac.uk

Tombs in ancient Egypt - The Australian Museum

australian.museum

License & Copyright

© Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. Republished for educational/scholarly use under the museum's Open Access for Scholarly Content initiative. Original image by Charles K. Wilkinson. Uploaded by Arienne King, published on 04 March 2021. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Copyright. You cannot use, copy, distribute, or modify this item without explicit permission from the author. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.