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Egypt's Golden Empire

1.Why were elaborate tombs so important to pharaohs as well as everyday Egyptians?

Elaborate tombs were so important because they wanted to be prepared for there “after life.” They wanted to have every thing they used during a normal day so they could do the same in the after life. They wanted text descriptions to tell them how to get to the afterlife.

2.Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. Discuss this idea and the specific things Egyptians did as part of their burial customs to prepare for this journey to the afterlife.

Egyptians would prepare for burial by working on their tombs. Decorating them with illustrations of their image of the after life. They would also store extra goods in there tomb such as jewelry and gold, they believed they would obtain these goods in the afterlife. They would also provide food for the tombs, for the spirit to eat and trade in the afterlife.

3.What religious ceremonies and/or gods and goddesses were associated with Egyptian burial and death?

The egyptian god of the dead was Osiris. After the elaborate mummification procedure had come to an end, the mummy inside its coffin began its final journey to its tomb it house for eternity.Friends, family and professional mourners would gather at the home of the deceased, here they would begin the long procession to the tomb carrying items to accompany the deceased in the Beyond, and to show their grief.

4.What does the way a tomb is decorated and the items buried with the dead tell us about the person buried there?

Based on where the person was buried we can assume what class they were in. If they were buried close to the Pharaoh it is most likely that they were important. If they had many jewels and gold surrounding there coffin they would most likely be in a higher class. It was also how they were buried and there coffin and clothes.

5.What were some of the typical, everyday items that might be included in an Ancient Egypt tomb, and why were these included?

Gold and Jewels because they would store the extra money so that they had for there tombs. They had scrolls about the Pharaoh, they also had in-carvings in stone that would explain some of the things they talked about.

Egypt's Golden Empire

6.How did the tombs of the pharaohs and royal family members differ from those of the average Egytian?

They had a lot more gold and jewelry in there tombs. The Pharaohs would also be located near the great places of Egypt and would have many large figures and statues around them. The would be located close together, in a certain section and the average Egyptians were in another section.

7.What did traditional Egyptian artwork look like during the time of the great Pharaohs?

Usually the workers would make draws and carve sketches into rock of the pharaohs. Because they thought that honoring the pharaohs would allow them to have a good time in the afterlife. They would also sketch what it was like in there daily life.

8.Why was being a tomb builder considered a very important job in ancient egypt?

In ancient egypt the tombs were the egyptians gateway to the afterlife. The tombs would have to contain walls of text, that would allow them to get into the afterlife. If the workers messed up on the inscriptions the pharaohs would not be able to make it to the afterlife.

9.Describe, briefly, the process of mummification and why it was used by the ancient Egyptians.

The process of mummification has two stages. First, the embalming of the body. Then, the wrapping and burial of the body.

10.List other important information associated with death, tombs, and burial in ancient Egypt.

The workers that worked on the tombs would life in one place and would have to stay there. In the streets there were guards so that the workers did not reveal the location of the burial and how to get passed it. Because grave robbing was a very serious thing back then. They would also have very narrow paths out of the village so it was hard to get out.