Anubis, Egyptian Sarcophagus
A scene from a wooden Egyptian sarcophagus depicting Anubis, the god of mummification and the afterlife. c. 400 BCE.
Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam.
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.
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