Mummies and mummification
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23633665 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ikram (0000-0001-6640-7055, American University in Cairo, corresponding author), Salima Ikram |
| Year | 2012 |
| Publication date | 2012-10-26 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | The Encyclopedia of Ancient History (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah15287 |
| OpenAlex | W1568702758 |
| ISBN | 9781444338386 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 6 |
The ancient Egyptians preserved the body through mummification so that the soul ( ba and ka ) could have a “house” for the eternal Afterlife ( see Funerary Cult, Pharaonic Egypt). Anyone who could afford it was mummified; even the poorest people attempted basic mummification. Ultimately the mummified body showed the individual in a semi‐divine state, as a result of the metamorphosis occasioned by death. Ideally, as the individual would become divine, the flesh would be transformed to gold and the hair to lapis lazuli. This is reflected in the colors chosen for coffins and funerary masks.
Afterlife · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Cult · Egyptology · Embalming · Literature · Soul · Theology · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.17 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2014 - 2023 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |