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Why were statues of servants found inside the tombs?
Shabtis are mummified statues that are found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. They represented the dead and their servants. In the past the Egyptians killed and buried servants with their master so they could serve them in the afterlife.
What was the main purpose for being mummified after death?
It was practiced as a way to venerate the dead, or express an important religious belief — especially a belief in an afterlife. Various cultures have been known to mummify their dead.
How were servants treated in ancient Egypt?
Servants Rights Egyptian servants did not have many rights but were usually not treated poorly. Egyptian servants could not own or inherit land. Servants could not move up in the social order, but their children could. They were considered peasants and had the right to own property.
Did servants build the pyramids?
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t slaves who built the pyramids. We know this because archaeologists have located the remains of a purpose-built village for the thousands of workers who built the famous Giza pyramids, nearly 4,500 years ago.
Did the Pharaohs have servants?
During the First Dynasty, pharaohs were not the only individuals that had retainer sacrifices carried out. Servants of both royalty and high court officials were slain to accompany their master in the next world.
Why did the ancient Egyptians mummify people after death?
Mummification kept them together. The ancient Egyptians believed the soul of a person had three parts. The first was called the ka. It remained in the tomb after death, which is why so many items were buried alongside people in ancient Egypt.
How are organs preserved in the mummification process?
The other organs were preserved separately, with the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines placed in special boxes or jars today called canopic jars. These were buried with the mummy. In later mummies, the organs were treated, wrapped, and replaced within the body.
Why did the Pharaoh mummify his servant figurines?
Maybe mummifying them was necessary for them to make the trip. After all, Pharaoh, was a mummy himself at this point. Another possibility is that the mummy design made it absolutely certain that the servant figurines were dead and would go with him.
What did embalmers put on mummies to dry them out?
This they did by covering the body with natron, a type of salt which has great drying properties, and by placing additional natron packets inside the body. When the body had dried out completely, embalmers removed the internal packets and lightly washed the natron off the body.