Essay Example on What comes to the mind when thinking of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt Paper Mummification Outline Introduction Sentence When asked to recall what comes to the mind when thinking of Ancient Egypt many respond with one word mummies The image of a slowly decaying corpse wrapped in white linen has become a popular icon representing the culture of the Ancient Egyptian civilization Background Information COMPLEX BURIAL PROCEDURES Anyone had the right to be mummified Several steps in mummification process Mummies took several months to complete Spells and rituals done in many different places throughout mummification Thesis Statement The complexity of the Egyptians burial procedures may suggest an obsession with death Indeed the Egyptians put much thought into the way they would be buried but these thoughts are tied more to religious beliefs like a second life after death rather than death itself Paragraph 2 Early Mummies Introduction sentence Transition Ancient Egyptian mummies weren't always wrapped wrapped in linen and placed in golden sarcophaguses First Egyptian mummies were created unintentionally Background Information Bacteria is the main cause of decay Main Information First Egyptians buried the dead underneath the sand 

Most important Opening of the Mouth A priest touched a special instrument to certain parts of the mummy to open those parts of the body to the senses enjoyed in life and needed in the Afterlife Smithsonian Inst e g By touching the mouth the dead person could now speak and eat Smithsonian Inst After Rites mummy was placed in a coffin and placed in the tomb Paragraph 5 The Purpose of Mummies Introduction Transition Sentence According to the Smithsonian Institution Such elaborate burial practices might suggest that the Egyptians were preoccupied with thoughts of death On the contrary they began early to make plans for their death because of their great love of life They could think of no life better than the present and they wanted to be sure it would continue after death The purpose of mummification was indeed an effort to keep the deceased alive after death The Purpose of Mummies Purpose of mummies was to preserve the physical form If physical form was lost the ba ka and akh would get lost Paragraph 6 The Afterlife Transition Introduction Sentence After mummification the dead would be able to enter the afterlife Several procedures needed for a person to be able to enter The Weighing of the Heart Ceremony taking place in the underworld Tests the purity of the heart Heart is weighed against the feather of Ma at If heart is lighter the dead is allowed safe passage If heart is heavier the dead has done many evils in the real world and does not deserve entrance to the afterlife The dead is consumed by Ammut What Happens in the Real World Living cannot interfere with the new lives of the deceased Can only pray that the dead were allowed safe passage into the afterlife Paragraph 7 Closing Paragraph Thesis Restated Closing The Egyptians clearly had a culture rich in beliefs about life and the forces behind it Mummies spells and rituals were all designed not for death but for the continuation of life Great thought and detail was put into not methods of death but the way people lived after death To the Ancient Egyptians death may have seemed more like the gateway to the next life These thoughts and ideas have become a reality by reason of the creation of mummies and mummification