Interesting Facts About Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian society has fascinated archaeologists, scholars, and much of the general public for centuries. With the possible exception of ancient Greece, no other civilization has captured as much public imagination as ancient Egyptian civilization has. Egyptology, the study of Egyptian society, is one of the most well researched fields in archaeology. In the Victorian era, “Egypt mania” swept through the upper class of Europe. One of the most fascinating areas of Egyptology is Egyptian burial rites and the Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and practices have captured the imagination of professional and amateur Egyptologists. Below are the top 3 interesting facts about ancient Egypt.

1) Gods and Goddesses

The ancient Egyptians were a polytheistic society. They believed in the existence of many gods and goddesses that watched over Egyptian life. The Egyptian rulers, the pharaohs, were believed to be the earthly children of the sun god Ra. When the current pharaoh died, he was believed to become a god himself and enter into the Egyptian pantheon.

2) The Afterlife

Upon death, Egyptians believed their spirit, or “ka,” would enter the afterlife. The body, or “ba,” was an integral part of this process and Egyptian corpses were well cared for in tombs by their relatives. Upon arriving in the afterlife, the spirit’s life was judged by the god Anubis. The spirit’s heart was weighed on a scale against a single feather. If the spirit had lead a pure life, its heart would weigh less than the feather and it would be allowed to enter the Underworld (ruled by the god Osiris). If the spirit had lead an unjust life, its heart would be seized by Anubis and thrown to the crocodile Ammit who would devour the spirit, sending it to a permanent death.

3) Mummification

The mummification process was developed in order to preserve the body for the afterlife. This preservation was very advanced at the time and was not matched until the advent of modern embalming. The first step of mummification was to open up the skull and remove the brain through the nose with the use of a hook. The brain was discarded as it was not considered to be an important organ. Every other organ, except for the heart, was removed from the body and placed in sacred canopic jars. After the organs were removed, the body was washed in oil, perfume, and natron (salt and soda ash) for preservation. Finally, the body was wrapped in sheets of linen and came to resemble the popular image of a mummy.