Ancient Egyptian Civilizations

Many ancient civilizations believed in life after death. Mummification is usually correlated with ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that mummification would guarantee the soul passage into the next life. The process and beliefs varied and had changed over several thousand years, but the main points were very similar.

The need to preserve the body from decay was probably the most important part of the Egyptian belief in a life after death because the spirit was thought to inhabit it at times. In the Predynastic period before 3,000 B.C. and the beginning of the Pharonic Age, the body was placed in a grave in the sand with some simple offerings. The natural heat and dryness preserved it with little need for embalming or other preparation. As society developed in Egypt and tombs became much more elaborate, it was necessary to treat the body to protect it from decay. After death, the pharaohs of Egypt usually were mummified and buried in elaborate tombs. Members of the nobility and officials also often received the same treatment, and occasionally, common people. However, the process was an expensive one, beyond the means of many.

Mummies could be elaborately wrapped in decorative patterns. The face was usually covered with a mask of plaster or precious metal fashioned as a likeness of the deceased. The removed internal organs were separately treated and, during much of Egyptian history, placed in jars of clay or stone. These so-called Canopic Jars were closed with stoppers fashioned in the shape of four heads -- human, baboon, falcon, and jackal -- representing the four protective spirits called the Four Sons of Horus.

In addition to the decorations on the tomb walls, in some periods, models for the use of the spirit were included in the funerary arrangements. A model boat was transportation on the waters of eternity. Likewise, models of granaries, butcher shops, and kitchens would guarantee the continued well-being of the deceased in the life after death.

Much of what is known about art and life in ancient Egypt has been preserved in the tombs that were prepared for the protection of the dead. The Egyptians believed that the next life had to be provided for in every detail and, as a result, tombs were decorated with depictions of the deceased at their own funeral meal, activities of the estate and countryside, and the abundant offerings necessary to sustain the spirit. The offering list would typically include various kinds of drink and food (both fresh and preserved), as well as colored eye paint to protect the eyes in the harsh Egyptian sun. Because the spirit was thought to live in the company of the gods, the standard formula asks for "bread and beer and all