Egyptian Burial Tradition: You Can't Take it With You?

We've all heard that no matter how much stuff you get your hands on in this life, you can't take it with you. According to Ancient Egyptian belief, we'll be regretting that mentality when we show up to the afterlife with no gold and no servants. The Egyptians came up with a simple formula to hold on to their possessions while transitioning between this world and whatever's next. When combined with their body-preserving burial customs, Egyptians thought themselves sure to arrive on the other side in style.

Afterlife Credit Check


The Egyptians were among the first societies to incorporate an afterlife into their religion. Their belief in a world after this led to concern about preparation. People were worried about arriving on the other side with a decayed, useless body and no money or possessions. To protect themselves against poverty and decrepitude, Egyptians began two now widely known traditions: mummification and burial with as many material goods as possible.

Body of Work


Because of the arid desert climate, bodies were often naturally preserved to a remarkable extent. It is likely that Egyptians' interpretation of this phenomenon was that the bodies were needed after death. Therefore, beginning about 2600 B.C. they began burying bodies in linen and plaster to help protect the bodies. Many wealthy and elite Egyptians received special burials involving these newly developed preservation techniques.

As the mummification process evolved it became more effective. By roughly 1600 B.C. mummies as we know them began to emerge. The process now involved opening the torso and removing many of the internal organs. The heart and kidneys were left in place and the empty space was packed with sawdust and treated strips of linen. The surface of the body was then treated with oils, spices and a water-repelling resin. Finally, the corpse was tightly wrapped with linen strips and placed in a sarcophagus.

The Ted Nugent Approach


With the decaying body issue wrapped up, Egyptians realized the afterlife could be a whole lot more enjoyable with a few creature comforts. The problem, though, is that there was no known way to get belongings from one life to the next. Anyone who has seen a washed up rock star knows the transition from fame and fortune to poverty and obscurity is a difficult one. Having no desire to experience that lifestyle change, the Egyptians devised a logically elegant solution to their problem: What can go where people go when they're dead? Dead things -- kill it to keep it.

The burials of wealthy Egyptians (pharaohs especially) often included rounding up servants and court members, killing them and burying them alongside their masters. While no exact body count is available, archaeologists report that many bodies surrounded a tomb at Abydos, Egypt. The expected result? A guaranteed eternal entourage.

Elite Egyptians also ensured themselves comfortable and versatile travel options in the afterlife. Interred at Abydos along with the corpses were 14 wooden boats, each 70 feet long. In case land travel is more appropriate on the other side, this tomb had it covered. As previously mentioned, belief dictated that only dead things can travel to the afterlife. The obvious solution was to slaughter and bury pack animals until, as Egyptologist David O'Conner puts it, the "graves were packed with donkeys."

The coup de grace of "kill it, keep it logic" involves lodging for the afterlife. After all, a wealthy Egyptian could certainly have a building constructed, but how can he kill it to guarantee its presence in the afterlife? Knock it down. The tomb site at Abydos contains evidence of a carefully and elaborately constructed building that was razed and buried in conjunction with the king's burial. The building's symbolic death assures the guest of honor a comfortable stay in the afterlife.

Sources Used

Irkam, Salima. "Egypt, Ancient." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. 20 April 2006.

Radford, Tim. "Death on the Nile." Guidarian Unlimited. 2006. 20 April 2006. http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,1261044,00.html

"Burial Customs." Ancient Egypt Discovery Case. Royal Ontario Museum. 2006. 20 April 2006. http://www.rom.on.ca/egypt/case/about/burial1.html