Egyptian Mythology and Mummification

At first, all ancient Egyptians buried their dead in the hot desert sands

However, in time wealthier Egyptians, especially pharaohs, began to build elaborate tombs

They would also mummify bodies so their souls would always have a ‘home’ to rest in, and be able to ‘eat and drink’

Mummies allow us to have some idea of what famous pharaohs looked like

Scientists and historians can also find out details such as their age, their body shape, whether they had had children, what diseases and health problems they suffered — even, sometimes, what caused their deaths

Researchers have found, for example, that cancer was probably rare or non-existent in ancient Egypt

On the other hand, broken and worn teeth were very common because of their crunching on sand grit and hard pieces of corn that were mixed up in bread

Sarcophagus – a stone coffin

The body and its coffins are eventually placed inside a large stone sarcophagus in the tomb

Furniture, clothing, valuable objects, food and drink are arranged in the tomb for the deceased

Why did the ancient Egyptians think it was important to preserve a dead body? (80 - 100 word response)

What similarities and differences are there between the burial practices of the ancient Egyptians and those used today?