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To every Egyptian death was seen as a desirable transformation, the passage of the true eternal life (Guide to The Valley of The Kings page 159, 1996). Death in no instance was considered a tragedy or an end but as a welcomed transition into the Afterlife. As death was of such an importance it was necessary that great care be taken for a smooth transition to immortality, this is a major reason that the Pharaohs contents of the tomb were of such importance. Egyptians emphasis on the importance of rituals, customs and beliefs as well as funerary architecture can be seen clearly in the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun. The planning that went into every Pharaohs tomb was extremely complex, as each tomb was significantly different in terms of the tombs layout and wall decorations.
The tombs structure and layout had to somehow reflect the formation and projection of the solar star. Wall decorations in the tomb dont represent the Pharaohs everyday life but that of their Afterlife and the challenges the Pharaoh has to undertake in order to reach the Kingdom of Orisis - land of the Afterlife. So these beliefs are reflected on the style of decorations featured in the tombs from imitations of papers to elaborate texts painted on the walls throughout the tomb. These sacred texts were taken from great magical religious anthologies of the time that one died, and were regarded to as sacred architecture (Guide to The Valley of the Kings page 26, 1996). Many tombs have been destroyed over the years, but historians have classified tombs into five types, such as the simple pit-graves, Mastaba tomb, Rock-cut chapels, Pyramid tombs and Mortuary chapel tombs. Pit graves were the simplest forms of burial and were more common in the poorer society in Egypt, and were still seen later on in the 20 th Dynasty.
It consisted of a hole in the ground that was a fraction longer then that of the deceased, and was covered with a number of bricks which were also used to line the walls of the pit. The other more complex type of tomb was that of the Mortuary Chapel tomb which featured later on in the Egyptian tomb development. These were introduced later in the Egyptian tomb development, and represented a grander model tomb then that of the simple pit graves. These tombs were grand and consisted of a number of rooms and courtyards, tomb walls were usually stoned lined walls and limestone columns. This type of tomb was built below the ground, as usually the chapel was built on the surface and the burial chambers below the ground.
Rock cut chapels were more commonly used by Pharaohs and those of the richer society as the rocky regions of Egypt best suited the building of these tombs. The Nile area was rocky and featured many cliffs, so these were excellent locations for the cutting of the tombs directly in the hillside. The most common chapel consisted of a door which lead into a transverse hall, behind which was a corridor that ran straight to the cliff. Over time rock tombs became more elaborate, and became more decorative and narrower as they now ran directly into the cliff, these tombs were the most impressing of all the tombs in Egypt, as they featured grand facades often with pillars and large stairways. Tombs contained wall decorations, which dealt with the Afterlife and the path the Pharaoh will take to reach the kingdom of Orisis. A royal tomb could be completed within a few months for a simple tomb or for a more larger and complex tomb it varied from six to ten years.
Decorations varied for each Pharaoh from elaborate paintings to imitations of papyrus. All texts painted on walls were taken from the great magical religion anthologies of the time such as the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Earth (Guide to the Valley of The Kings page 26, 1996). These magical and religious texts were drawn on the walls for the deceased to inform, and use as a valuable tool for them to make sure that they had enough knowledge of magical formulas for them to use during the Afterlife and they were also painted in sequence of events. The New Kingdom royal tombs featured ceiling decorations, which included star maps, which represented the daily birth of the sun. Placing a burial underneath a symbolic symbol was considered of great importance for the resurrection of the body. Texts and drawings on tomb walls contained various colours; each colour used represent Egyptian rituals.
Colours such as white represents Silver, Black represented death and eternal preservation and Red represents fire and blood. As a lead up to the star the life of the deceased is painted, including all aspects of the deceased families life. Before a body was buried the process of embalming took place for seventy days. Historian Herodotus tells of three grades of mummification that depended upon the amount of money the deceased had. The most expensive procedure was the embalming which resembled the god Osiris.
The ritual took place usually within seventy days and a contract was drawn up between the embalmers and the deceased family, which specifies the amount of time the embalming procedure will take place. The body was then placed on a wooden table and was purified by washing the body in a solution of Nation. The brain was removed from the nasal cavity, and the abdomen was cut and all organs were removed and then purified with aromas. Once the organs were removed they were placed into jars and placed inside the tomb. The body is then stuffed with straw, sawdust, mud or linen; this assists in retaining the deceases bodies shape and is also wrapped with linen and bandages. Egyptian rituals and beliefs also played an extremely important part in the lead up to a deceased burial, the instillation of the burial and its tombs content takes place outside the tomb.
The transport of the body to the tomb took form of a ritual procession that normally began on the East bank of the Nile River. After crossing the river to the west the body was placed on a sledge and drawn by oxen to the tomb. Close to the mummy stood two women who normally were used to impersonate the diving mourners Isis and Nephthys who represented the wife and sister of the god Osiris followed by mourners of the deceased. The last mourner in the procession burnt incense and sprinkled milk at the procession as they wound their way to the to...
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Research essay sample on Death And Burial In Ancient Egypt
