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Burial customs: the tombs
An Ancient Egyptian tomb is separated in two parts:
1. The underground chamber with the burial of the dead. This part was normally closed permanently after the burial.
the underground parts may have different forms |
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a simple hole in the ground
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a chamber in the ground
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several chambers
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a decorated chamber
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examples: |
examples: |
examples: |
examples: Harageh 671 |
2. An overground structure for the cult of the dead.
This part was more or less accessible for the living. Here the cult for the
dead was celebrated. Almost all of the overground parts have now disappeared,
especially for simpler graves: in most cases these might have been low mounds.
Even more complex structures built in stone or mudbrick have, more often than
not, been totally lost. The most famous 'overground' structures are the pyramids.
Many of these structures are decorated with reliefs, paintings statues or
stelae. For the kings and some very high officials in the New Kingdom (about
1550-1069 BC) the underground parts are separated from the overground structure,
which takes the form of a long temple. The same separation of burial place
and cult place can be seen earlier, in the tombs and enclosures of the First
and Second Dynasty kings at Abydos.
different kind of overground structures
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a pyramid
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a temple like structure
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a mastaba
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a rock cut tomb chapel
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a 'soul house'
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Sedment
274 Qau el-Kebir Thebes TT 344 |
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