Running head: BURIAL PRACTICES OF ANCIENT EGYPT 1

Burial Practices in Ancient Egypt

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Burial Practices in Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians had sophisticated funeral practices. The sets of practices were

essential in ensuring that they remained immortal even after death. Although the ancient

Egyptian burial practices continually changed over time, some practices persisted and remained

the same. The old customs were regularly discarded while new ones were adopted. Some

particular details evolved, the body preparation, the grave goods, and magic rituals are some of

the most critical parts of the Ancient Egyptians Burial practices. According to Bunson, eternity

was the common destination of every man, woman, and child in Egyptian cultures.

Many scholars believe that the significance of body preservation originated from

Predynastic Egypt. The ancient Egyptians did believe in eternity. Hence, they could not cremate

their bodies (Bunson,1991). They also thought that the mistreatment of the dead could make

them rise again and haunt them, hence, treating the dead bodies with a lot of care. The eternity of

Egyptians was slightly different from eternity above the clouds. Their eternity was that of

eternity on earth, termed as Field of Reeds or Aaru. It acted as a perfect reflection of the life a

person had lived, and there were rituals and protocols prevalent in the Egyptians burial practices.

They had to mummify of the body, cast the magic spells, and bury the deceased with particular

burial commodities.

Everybody in the Egyptian culture wanted to join the Field of Reeds, and this made the

burial practices critical in their cultures. It was one of the greatest activities in Egyptian culture

with numerous parts. The funerals ceremonies were thought to be the ways of joining the

afterlife and leaving the physical world.

The Field of Reeds

The Ancient Egyptians believed that in the Field of Reeds was a land where there was no

suffering, but only pleasure. They believed that death was not the end of life but rather the

beginning of life at the Field of Reeds. They had believed that the soul had nine portions (Agai,

2015). That included;

 Ka a doppelganger

 Akh was a transformed immortal self

 Sahu and Shechem were the parts of Akh\

 Ab was the source of good and evil or the heart

 Ren was one secret name

 Shuyet was the shadow of oneself

 Khat which was the physical body

 Ba was a human-headed bird principle that could speed up the conduit between earth

and heaven

After collecting the Akh, the transformed immortal self, Anubis, who was the god, could guide

the eternal self into a hall that was termed as The Hall of Truth. In this hall, the Akh could be

judged by Osiris, who were the judges believed to be the rulers of the physical world. Osiris

could measure the heart of the immortal self on a scale of gold that was known as Ma’at. If it

turned out that this soul was more massive, the immortal self could be punished. When the soul

turned out to be lighter, it could be sent to the 42 judges for further investigations (Agai, 2015).

The souls that could enjoy an afterlife in The Field of Reeds were the worthy souls.

These rights concerning the burial were theatrical as all the communities wished the

person who had died could enjoy the bliss in The Field of Reeds. Mummification was practiced
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in Ancient Egypt as early as 3500BCE (Agai, 2015). It has been thought as a practice through

that dead bodies were buried in the sand. The practice was based on the fact that the dead had to

enjoy eternal life with happiness and peace. For the immortal self to be able to be judged by the

Osiri and the 42 judges, the physical body or the Khat needed to exist as it was the one holding

the Ka and the Ba.

Egyptian Mummification

The body of the deceased, Khat, was considered to be the holder of the soul. It had to

continue existing as long as Osiri and the 42 judges had not judged the immortal self. To ensure

that the dead enjoyed eternal life, the Egyptians had to mummify their bodies. The planning for

the funeral of the deceased person's families had to take the dead body to embalmers, where

embalming procedures were performed. From the embalming procedure, the body would be

taken to grade of coffins, and there were numerous grades. According to Ikram, the professionals

could produce specimens models in wood graded according to prices, and the family of the

deceased could choose the procedure they preferred and then leave the proceedings to the

professionals (Ikram, 2003). The most expensive in the three levels was the Osiris.

In the preservation process, materials used to preserve were graded according to the

wealthy status of the family of the deceased. For the rich, more expensive ingredients were

applied to protect the body. Pure Myrrh and palm wine were used. Also, the removal of the body

organs of the rich dead involved intricate procedures and complex surgeries. Their bodies would

then be covered with sacred salt for seventy days, after which it could be enclosed with linen and

gum. However, for the poorer families, this procedure was different. They could not afford to

purchase new linens for mummification. Hence, they would use their old clothes. Also, during
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the burial ceremony, the wealthy could order the sarcophagus to come and bury their bodies.

While the poor had to bury their dead in the cheapest graves.

Due to their respect for the burial ceremony, the Egyptians could place the most valuable things

on the coffin. They believed that putting these things on the top of the coffin could make the

dead enjoy a better eternal life in the Field of Reeds. Among the things that were placed on top

of the coffin were, religious objects, “The Book of the Dead,” funereally texts, among other

precious things.

Types of Mummification

Ikram(2003), acknowledges that the ingredients in the mummification were divine salt,

natron, and netjry. The components that were applied in these products were the ones available

naturally in Egypt. They included sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate. These

compounds are typically found on the Egyptian land, northwest of Cairo. If the family of the

deceased had a lot of wealth, the dead were laid on the table and brain removed. It was removed

through the nostrils using a hooked iron, and the unreachable parts were washed with drugs

(Ikram, 2003). Also, the intestines are removed, and the cavity left thoroughly cleaned and filled

with all sorts of expensive ground spices such as cassia, Myrrh, and aromatic substances. It is the

sewn up again for seventy days. It was then rewashed after this period, and covered with linen

and gum. The body was taken to the family with a wooden coffin that was shaped like a human

being.

In the second type of mummification, all that was done to the body was to inject the oil of

cedar through the anus up to a certain level. No further attention was given to the body after this

stage, and it was given back to the family (Ikram, 2003).

The third and the cheapest type of embalming involved the process of removing the

intestines only. Then the body was preserved in the natron for seventy days and later given to the

family. The only organ that was left in all the dead bodies regardless of the type was the heart. It

was believed that the heart contained the Ab, which was the aspect of the soul. However, all the

other body organs were well preserved and put in canopic jars, and they were sealed in the tomb

as the deceased would require them in the Field of the Reed (Ikram, 2003).

Funeral and Graves

All the dead were given a ceremony, no matter the level of poverty. The Ancient

Egyptians believed that if the dead were poorly treated and a ceremony not held for them, they

would come back to haunt them in the form of ghosts. Ghosts were among the greatest threats to

the Ancient Egyptians. Hence people were very cautious about the issue (Ikram, 2003). They had

to try their level best to keep the soul of the deceased happy for them to leave in a ghost-free

society. The poor in the communities were buried with the things that made them happy in life,

while the rich were buried with expensive objects.

All the graves in Ancient Egypt had a provision for the afterlife. In the earliest periods,

these graves were simple ones, but later they developed to Mastabas. The Mastabas advance into

step pyramids, and then the Egyptians were in a position to construct pyramid graves. The

pyramids were the best graves in Egypt civilization as they were also able to protect the Khat or

the physical dead body from being stolen (Mark, 2019).

Sarcophagus or Coffins were constructed as a symbolic figure and also as a means of

protecting the Khat. At the back of the coffin, a line was drawn that was referred to as

hieroglyphics. It was vertical, running from the top of the coffin to the bottom. The Egyptians

thought that this line could aid the deceased to wake up and be able to eat and drink. Also
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included on the coffin were the instructions to the Khat, also referred to as Coffin Texts. Later

these texts advanced and came to be known as the Book of the dead. The principal aim of the

Ancient Egyptians writing the Book of Life to the Khat was to remind them who they used to be

in life and how to continue with the afterlife in the Field of Reeds (Mark, 2019).

The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony

This ceremony was led by either a priest and at times, the son of the person who had died.

At this stage, either of the two performing the ceremony could dress in a leopard skin ("The

Opening of the Mouth | Ancient Egypt Online," 2019). Then, he could select some verses from

the Book of the dead that were to be severally cited. The sacrifice of a calf accompanied this.

Throughout this process, there were the lamentations of Nephthys and Isis. When the Khat

reached to the entry of the grave, the priest or the son of the deceased touched it on the face with

his hand. The significance of this ceremony was believed to be significant as it helped the soul of

the dead to enjoy offerings of drinks and food. The Khat was reincarnated to Akh to join the

mourners in their feast. Later the Khat could proceed to the Hall of Truth. The pries could also

touch the mouth of the corpse to give it the power to drink and eat in the afterlife. He could also

touch its arms and legs to enable it to move inside the tomb.

Conclusion of the Burial Ceremony

The tomb was sealed, and the mourners could then celebrate the life of the dead. This was

done through a big feast that was held near the tomb. When people were done with the feast,

they could return to their homes. They believed the soul of the dead had to continue to the Hall

of Truth, pass through the judging by the forty-two judges. Later he or she would enjoy the life

in the Field of the Reeds. The way a person lived could not determine whether he or she could
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attain eternal life in the Field of Reeds. What mattered most is the burial rituals and ceremony,

and this made it one of the most significant in the Egyptians cultures.
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References

Ikram, S. (2003). Death and burial in ancient Egypt. Harlow: Longman.

Bunson, M (1991). Encyclopedia of ancient Egypt. Gramercy Books, London.

Agai, J. (2015). Resurrection imageries: A study of the motives for extravagant burial rituals in

ancient Egypt. Verbum Et Ecclesia, 36(1). doi: 10.4102/ve.v36i1.1457

The Opening of the Mouth | Ancient Egypt Online. (2019). Retrieved 1 December 2019, from

https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/openingofthemouth/

Mark, J. (2019). Ancient Egyptian Burial. Retrieved 1 December 2019, from

https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Burial/