Mummies in Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died they made a journey to the next world. They believed that in order to live in the next world their body had to be preserved. A preserved body is called a mummy. While elaborate versions of this practice were only reserved for the highest levels of Egyptian society, mummification was a cornerstone of Egyptian religion.

After death a body begins to decompose. In order to prevent a body from decomposing it is necessary to deprive the tissues of moisture and oxygen.

The earliest Egyptians buried their dead in shallow pits in the desert. The hot, dry sand quickly removed moisture from the dead body and created a natural mummy. However, the Egyptians discovered that if the body was first placed in a coffin, it would not be preserved.

In order to ensure that the body was preserved the Ancient Egyptians began to use a process called mummification to produce their mummies. This involved embalming the body and then wrapping it in thin strips of linen.

Mummification

The mummification process took around 70 days and involved the following steps

1. The body was washed
2. A cut was made on the left side of the abdomen and the internal organs – intestines, liver, lungs, stomach, were removed. The heart, which the Ancient Egyptians believed to be the centre of emotion and intelligence, was left in the body for use in the next life.
3. A hooked instrument was used to remove the brain through the nose. The brain was not considered to be important and was thrown away.
4. The body and the internal organs were packed with natron salt for forty days to remove all moisture.

5. The dried organs were wrapped in linen and placed in canopic jars. The lid of each jar was shaped to represent one of Horus’ four sons. The picture (above) taken by Nina Aldin Thune shows from left to righ

Imsety, who had a human head – guardian of the liver
Hapy, who had the head of a baboon – guardian of the lungs
Qebehsenuf, who had the head of a falcon – guardian of the intestines
Duamatef, who had the head of a jackal – guardian of the stomach

6. The body was cleaned and the dried skin rubbed with oil.
7. The body was packed with sawdust and rags and the open cuts sealed with wax
8. The body was wrapped in linen bandages. About 20 layers were used and this took 15 to 20 days.
9. A death mask was placed over the bandages
10. The bandaged body was placed in a shroud (a large sheet of cloth) which was secured with linen strips.
11. The body was then placed in a decorated mummy case or coffin.
Through this process mummies were interred into their tombs. Archeologists continue to find them at excavation sites throughout areas of ancient Egyptian settlement.

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

often described as a dark period in ancient Egyptian history, spanned approximately one hundred years after the end of the Old Kingdom from 2181 to 2055 BC. It included the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and part of the eleventh dynasties.

The First Intermediate Period was a dynamic time in history where rule of Egypt was roughly divided between two competing power bases. One of those bases resided at Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt, a city just south of the Faiyum region. The other resided at Thebes in Upper Egypt. It is believed that during this time, the temples were pillaged and violated, their existing artwork was vandalized, and the statues of kings were broken or destroyed as a result of this alleged political chaos.

These two kingdoms would eventually come into conflict, with the Theban kings conquering the north, resulting in reunification of Egypt under a single ruler during the second part of the eleventh dynasty
.

After Egypt's central government collapsed at the end of the Old Kingdom, the administration could no longer support or stabilize the country's economy. Regional governors could not rely on the king for help in times of crisis, and the ensuing food shortages and political disputes escalated into famines and small-scale civil wars. Yet despite difficult problems, local leaders, owing no tribute to the pharaoh, used their newfound independence to establish a thriving culture in the provinces. 

Once in control of their own resources, the provinces became economically richer a fact demonstrated by larger and better burials among all social classes. In bursts of creativity, provincial artisans adopted and adapted cultural motifs formerly restricted to the royalty of the Old Kingdom, and scribes developed literary styles that expressed the optimism and originality of the period. Free from their loyalties to the pharaoh, local rulers began competing with each other for territorial control and political power. By 2160 BC, rulers in Herakleopolis controlled Lower Egypt, while a rival clan based in Thebes, the Intef family, took control of Upper Egypt. As the Intefs grew in power and expanded their control northward, a clash between the two rival dynasties became inevitable. Around 2055 BC the Theban forces under Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II finally defeated the Herakleopolitan rulers, reuniting the Two Lands and inaugurating a period of economic and cultural renaissance known as the Middle Kingdom.

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

The First Intermediate Period

Kings and Queens 4

Queen Khentetka  ( 4 th Dynasty )

Khentetka  was a Queen of Egypt; the wife of King Djedefre during the 4th dynasty.

Khafre  ( 4 th Dynasty )

Khafra (Egyptian pharaoh of the Fourth dynasty) his name means (Appearing like Re), his reign between 2558 BC to 2532 BC, 26 years. Khafre was son of King Khufu, his capital at Memphis.  We know little about his reign. But his pyramid at Giza the second largest known pyramid in Egypt is enough.

Reign from 2558 to 2532 BC      4th Dynasty
Predecessor (Djedefra)
Successor (Menkaura)
Children (Menkaura, Nebemakhet, Duaenre, Niuserre, Khenterka, Ankhmare, Akhre, Iunmin, Iunre, Sekhemkare, Nikaure, Khamerernebty II, Rekhetre, Shepsetkau, Hemetre)
Father (Pharaoh Khufu)
Mother (Queen Henutsen)
Monuments (Pyramid of Khafra,Great Sphinx of Giza)

King Khafre Egyptian Museum - Cairo

Queen Khamerernebty I ( 4 th Dynasty )
Queen Khamerernebty I was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 4th dynasty. She was probably a wife of King Khafre and the mother of King Menkaure and Queen Khamerernebty II. 

Queen Hekenuhedjet ( 4 th Dynasty )

Queen Hekenuhedjet was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 4th dynasty, a wife of Pharaoh Khafra. She is depicted in the tomb of her son the Vizier Sekhemkare.

Queen Persenet ( 4 th Dynasty )
Queen Persenet was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 4th dynasty. She may have been a daughter of King Khufu and a wife of King Khafra. 


Menkaure ( 4 th Dynasty )

His name mean (Eternal like the Souls of Re), ruling from 2532 B.C to 2503 B.C,(29 years). He was the son of King Khafre, and he married his sister Khamerernebti 2. His pyramid is the smallest pyramids at Giza.

Reign from 2532 to 2503 BC      4th Dynasty
Predecessor (Khafre)
Successor (Shepseskaf)
Children (Khuenre, Shepseskaf, Khentkaus I)
Father (Khafra)
Mother (Khamerernebty I)
Monuments (Pyramid at Giza)

Menkaure and Queen

Khamerernebty I ( 4 th Dynasty )

Khamerernebty I was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 4th dynasty. She was a wife of King Khafre and the mother of King Menkaure and Queen Khamerernebty II. 

Shepseskaf ( 4 th Dynasty )

Shepseskaf was a son of Menkaurethe, his name means (His Soul is Noble). He ruled from 2472 to 2467 B.C. His tomb is in Saqqara. He is the only king of the Fourth Dynasty, who did not build a pyramid, but he built a big mastaba at South Saqqara.

Reign from 2503 to 2498 BC      4th Dynasty
Predecessor (Menkaura)
Successor (Userkaf)
Children (Khamaat)
Father (Menkaura)

Shepseskaf (Museum of Fine Arts-Boston)

Queen Bunefer ( 4 th Dynasty )

Queen Bunefer was an Ancient Egyptian queen from the 4th or 5th dynasty. It is not known which king she was married to may be Shepseskaf.

Kings and Queens 3

Nimaethap  ( 3 rd Dynasty )
Nimaethap was the wife of Khasekhemwy and the mother of Djoser, the first Pharaoh of the Third dynasty of Egypt.

Sekhmekhet  ( 3 rd Dynasty )
Sekhmekhet was the third king of the third dynasty ruling from 2648 to 2640 B.C. about 8 years. His name is carved on a cliff near (Al-Maghara Valley) in Sinai. The king has an unfinished pyramid at Saqqara.

His unfinished pyramid was discovered at Saqqara, It may have been designed by Imhotep, who was active after Zoser's death.

Reign from 2648 to 2640 BC   3rd Dynasty

Predecessor (Djoser)

Successor (Khaba)

Children (Khaba)

Monuments (Buried Pyramid)

Sekhemkhet

Khaba  ( 3 rd Dynasty )

King of Egypt, fourth king of the third dynasty, ruling from 2640 to 2637 B.C. about 4 years. Less is known about him.

Khaba is believed to have built his funerary monument in Zawyet El-Aryan, about 7 km north of Saqqara. It was left unfinished at an early stage of its building. Height about 20m (unfinished), base about 84m.

Reign from 2640 to 2637 BC     3rd Dynasty

Predecessor (Sekhemkhet)

Successor (Huni) 

Father (Sekhemkhet )

Monuments (Layer Pyramid)

khaba

 

Huni  ( 3 rd Dynasty )

Huni was the last Egyptian Pharaoh of the third dynasty.

He ruled Egypt from 2599 to 2575 BC. The king established a fortress on the island of Elephantine; also he built a pyramid at Meidum. The Pyramid at Maidum is a big step forward for pyramid builders it is the first to be planned from the beginning with smooth sides. Huni's vizier was a man named Kagemi.

Reign from 2637 to 2613 BC      3rd Dynasty

Predecessor Khaba

Successor Sneferu

Children Hetepheres I, Sneferu

Father  Khaba

Monuments Step pyramid, Island fort at Elephantine, Meidum Pyramid

King Huni

Sneferu ( 4 th Dynasty )

Sneferu ruled Egypt of 2613 BC to 2589. He was the founder of the Fourth Dynasty in Egypt. He is the first king of the construction of the pyramid is real. Three famous pyramids associated with the name of King Senefru (Meidum Pyramid, Red Pyramid and Bent pyramids at Dahshur).This pyramids that survive to this day.

Predecessor (Huni)
Successor (Khufu)
Children (Nefermaat, Rahotep, Ranefer, Hetepheres A, Khufu, Kanefer, Ankhhaf, Netjeraperef, Iynefer I, Meritites I, Nefertkau, Nefertnesu, Henutsen)
Mother (Meresankh I)
Monuments (Bent Pyramid, Red Pyramid, Meidum Pyramid)

King Sneferu

Khufu ( 4 th Dynasty )

Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt's (Old Kingdom). He ruled from around 2589 to 2566 B.C. 23 years. Generally Khufu was accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Khufu's full name was (Khnum-Khufu) by the meaning (the god Khnum protects me).The history remembers Khufu, the Great Pyramid of Giza as a testament to his tremendous ability to coordinate hundreds of workers towards one purpose. It is through this fantastic architectural marvel that Khufu will be remembered as one of many famous Egyptian pharaohs.

Reign from 2589 to 2566 BC      4th Dynasty
Predecessor (Sneferu)
Successor (Djedefre)
Children (Kawab, Djedefhor, Hetepheres II, Meritites II, Meresankh II, Baufra, Djedefra, Minkhaf I, Khafre, Khufukhaf I, Babaef I, Horbaef, Nefertiabet, possibly Khamerernebty I, possibly Nefermaat II)
Father (Pharaoh Sneferu)
Mother (Queen Hetepheres I)
Monuments (Great Pyramid of Giza, Khufu ship)

King Khufu Egyptian museum

King Khufu Egyptian museum

King Khufu Egyptian museum

Djedefre ( 4 th Dynasty )

Djedefre was the son and successor of Khufu. He ruled Egypt from 2528 BC, to 2520 BC. (8 years). His name meaning (enduring like Re). He built his pyramid at Abu-Rawash (8 kilometers north of Giza); the pyramid includes a statue of his wife in the form of a sphinx. The solar cult grew in power during his reign. His royal cemetery near of his pyramid and include about 50 mastaba tombs.

Reign from 2566 to 2558 BC      4th Dynasty

Predecessor (Khufu)

Successor (Khafra)

Children (Hernet, Baka, Setka, Nikaudjedefre, Hetepheres, Neferhetepes)

Father (Khufu)

Monuments (Pyramid of Djedefre)

Djedefre - Louvre Museum

Queen Hetepheres II  ( 4 th Dynasty )

Queen Hetepheres II she was a daughter of Khufu and was either born during the reign of her grandfather Sneferu

Ancient Egypt - Dynasty 1

The First and second Dynasties of Ancient Egypt (The Early Dynastic). The capital at that time was Thinis.

Large tombs for their Pharaohs or kings at Abydos, Neqada and Saqqara in also at Helwan near Memphis.

During this time papyrus was invented and as a consequence writing was used as an administrative tool of government, the magnificent artifacts that have been found from this period.       

The kings of first dynasty:

Narmer

Menes

Hor-Aha                       

Djer     

Djet     

Merneith           

Den     

Anedjib

Semerkhet

Qa'a

Narmer

King Narmer is thought to have reigned 3150 BC as first king of the 1st dynasty 

The first king starts in securing the country's borders. Trade between Egypt and Sudan was developed, and then embarked on a glorious period of its history, known as the pyramid builder's age, where the first pyramid of Saqqara was built.

With the flourishing of agriculture, industry and trade, the first river fleet was introduced by the Egyptians.

Narmer

Narmer Palette

 Menes

Menes is one of the Egyptian kings. Some sources say he was the son of Narmer while others say he was Narmer. There is no tangible proof either way. And was considered to be the first king to unify Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom. Whether unification was achieved by military or peaceful means is uncertain.

Menes founded the city of Memphis. He chose as its location an island in the Nile, so that it would be easy to defend. During his time, the Egyptian army performed raids against the Nubians in the south and expanded his sphere of influence as far as the First Cataract. He sent ambassadors to Canaan and Byblos in Phoenicia to establish peaceful commercial trade links.

 According to Manetho, Menes was killed by a hippopotamus or by crocodiles after a 62 year reign. His was buried at Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis.

Menes

Menes

Hor-Aha

First king of the 1st Dynasty at Memphis 2920 B.C he is the founder of the city of Memphis, built a dike to reroute a branch of the Nile so that a flat plain could be formed. Memphis was just one of the important political centers of Egypt at the time, but Aha made it his capital. During his reign.

He was buried at Saqqara, the necropolis off Memphis, but he built a second mortuary complex near Abydos. He is supposed to have ruled until his death at the age of 63.

Hor-Aha

Djer

His name was found in an inscription on the Wadi Halfa (south of the first Cataract)

on Ivory and wood labels from Abydos and Saqqara say he reigned for 57 years.

According to Manetho, he reigned 57 years, but according to modern research (Von Beckerath's Chronologie des pharaonischen Agypten) his reign lasted only two years (3000 BC-2999 BC).

He probably fought several battles against the Libyans in the Nile delta.

Djer's wife was Queen Herneith.

He was buried in the holy place Abydos.

The evidence for Djer's existence:

A tomb in Umm el-Qa'ab, Abydos.

Seal prints from graves in Saqqara.

Inscriptions in graves in Saqqara.

Djer

Djer

 Djet     

Wadji-Djet is (Horus-Snake) (cobra).

Little is known about his reign, but he has become famous because of the survival, in well-preserved form, of one of his artistically refined tomb steles. His reign would have lasted 11 years, around 3040 B.C.

His limestone stela was found near Abydos where he was buried.

Djet

Djet

Djet

Djet

 Merneith

Merneith’s name means (Beloved by Neith)

Merneith her rule occurred the thirtieth century B.C., for an undetermined period of time. Merneith’s name means Beloved by Neith and her stela contains symbols of that deity. She was Djet's senior royal wife and the mother of Den.

Queen Merneith she is the first woman in the history of ancient Egypt recorded as regent.

After the death of Djet, whose rule seems to have been short, it is believed that Merneith reigned for a period while her son Den was too young.

Two large funerary stelae with the name of Merneith.

At Abydos a tomb belonging to Merneith was found in an area associated with other rulers of the First Dynasty. A stela made of stone identifying the tomb as hers was found at the site.

At Saqqara a funerary monument dedicated to her was found along with those of five other rulers from the same period. Inside her monument archeologists discovered a solar boat that would allow her to travel with the sun god in the afterlife.

Merneith

Den

King Den since the king revived power in Egypt as an baby, Queen Merenith was constituted as his political consultant, which basically meant that she reined Egypt till he was able doing so himself. Den reigned Egypt for about 50 years

King Den had a prosperous time on the throne and art and economy seem to have flourished. Many innovations saw the daylight during his reign and he adopted the double crown to underline his dual kingship over the two countries.

King Den's tomb at the royal burial site at Abydos an average square memorial, but had a new feature in cast of a very long broad stairs leading instantly to the tomb chamber. This new architectural designing was rapidly adoptive in the private tomb sphere as well as the coming kings.

Around thirty great mastabas from his reign period were established by officials from Saqqara and upward north to Abu Roash. This was far more on the rules of his predecessors who just had a few constructed on their time on the throne.

King Den’s Tomb at abydos applies a lot granite, 136 accessory burials. It is bordered by a brick wall. Firstly a stairwell was amplified the burial chamber, which is 23.77 meter heights. There are two parts of stairway were apart by a wooden door. Likewise there are jar seailings and twenty ebony and ivory catchers commemorating the Den’s reign.

Den

Den

Den Tomp

 Anedjib           

Anedjib name means (Safe Is His Heart)

He kept Memphis as his capitol city throughout his approximate 14 years of rule, as the exact number of years remains unknown.

Anedjib's crown carried the symbols of both Upper and Lower Egypt, a representation of the unification of the country under his power.

His wife, Queen Betrest, was the mother of King Semerkhet

Order broke down during his reign when conflicting factions caused changes that would end this great dynasty.

Anedjib wore the double-crown of Egypt (the white crown of Upper Egypt and the red crown of Lower Egypt) as a representation of his power over both regions. There is some doubt, however, that he really controlled the north, since there is evidence of constant rebellion. Anedjib, in an attempt to legitimize his rule,

Anedjib built a tomb at Abydos, but it is one of the worst built and smallest of the Abydos royal tombs, the burial chamber was constructed entirely of wood, and there were 64 graves of retainers within the area, also of low grade construction.

Another tomb which was apparently built during the reign of Anedjib is that of an official named Nebitka at Saqqara. This tomb is interesting in that it contained a mud brick stepped structure inside the Mastaba like structure that some Egyptologists see as a forerunner of Djoser's Step Pyramid.

Anedjib

Anedjib Tomp

Semerkhet

Semerkhet name means (thoughtful friend). We know very little about his reign. The Palermo stone only records some religious ceremonies and that his mother was named Batirytes.

According to Manetho Semerkhet had a very difficult reign, that he reigned for eighteen years, while the Palermo stone only records an eight year reign Either way, he had time to build a much bigger tomb than his predecessor Anedjib. He was interred in Tomb U of the royal necropolis at Umm el-Qa'ab, near Abydos.

Semerkhet

Semerkhet

 Qa'a

Qa'a is the last king of the first dynasty, although dates are rather wildly different when it comes to this king.  There isn't much information about him.

His tomb in Abydos and burials in nearby Saqqara from the same time period. A seal impressions listing all the kings of First Dynasty.

Four large tombs in Saqqara date from his reign, two stelae were discovered for officials in his government, Merka and Sabef, with complex inscriptions.

A number of artifacts were found in the tomb during its many excavations, the lower part of two wooden statues was found in one of these tombs in a set of rooms on the north side.

Qa'a is the last king to be buried with subsidiary burials of attendants and servants.

Qa'a Tomp