Ancient Egyptian Funeral Artifacts - Anthropology Assignment

Ancient Egyptian Funeral Artifacts
Michael C Carlos Museum Field Trip
Emory University


The Michael C Carlos Museum is located on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta. After a decent walk through construction zones in the hot and humid weather my husband and I located the museum. This was my first visit to the museum and the Emory Campus. I was rather impressed by the area. It was very clean and the buildings seemed to have a historic character. This was true of the museum as well. We entered the building and immediately were next to the book store. We passed up on this anxious to look at the artifacts and found ourselves at the information desk. I informed the attendant that I was there for an assignment and wanted to know what the rules were regarding photography. It was the typical “No Flash” policy. I made my donation, received a map of the museum, and thanked her for her friendliness.

Right away I took a look around and was rather impressed by the design of the interior of the museum. It was very clean, air conditioned, with non-distracting wall color and lighting. This was important so that attention was focused on the artifacts on display. The lighting on the individual artifacts was fantastic and allowed for complete observation of many different aspects of each item. Descriptive museum placards of each of the displays was posted next to them with a lot of information pertaining to that object, such as the legends surrounding the object, the location where the item was found, the material used, what time period it was from, and the person or organization that loaned or donated the item.

One of the first collections I observed was related to the ancient Greeks. This is one area that I have an intense interest. The epics of mythical characters and gods keep you wanting more. Their stories were of a different time and a different place but still had a special significance to today.

Besides the items from the Greeks, I was especially anxious to find the exhibits displaying ancient Egyptian artifacts. That has always been an interest of mine. I found them in the room just beyond the Greek artifacts, which were extraordinary in themselves. My deepest interest was to learn more about the ancient Egyptians and their practices of funeral and burials. Although there were many items that I found to be incredibly interesting, there were five that caught my interest the most.

The first item was labeled “Coffin and Mummy of a Priestly Official”. It was found in Egypt and was found to be from “Dynasty 21” circa 1075-945 BC. It was made of wood stained or painted with pigment. The human remains of this ancient “Priestly Official” were wrapped in a sort of ivory colored linen that was remarkably well preserved.

Near the “Priestly Official” coffin I found the fascinating and awe-inspiring ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. My husband and I read next to the display of the colorful sheet that there were a total of 189 books of papyrus rolls. It contained very picturesque drawings of everything someone would need to know about the afterlife, or their belief in the myth of the afterlife. The Book of the Dead translates to “The Book of Coming Forth by Day”. It was placed in the coffin or burial chamber of the deceased. The reasoning was that the deceased would need to read it to journey into the underworld. It would teach them clues and directions to help them along. The gods would also be able to provide protection to this person.

In an adjacent room I came across the “Mummy Trappings”. The ancient Egyptians adorned their mummies with networks of beads, often called trappings. Images of gods and goddesses were many times sewn into the trappings and came in various sizes. Both males and females have been found with these decorated trappings. In as early as the Old Kingdom, beadwork garments have been used in burials. One in particular that I found particularly interesting was the “Wedjat Eye Amulet” that was found in Egypt and dates to the Late Period (664-323 BC) This particular item looks like a beaded mask of a face and was rather remarkable.

Further down in this room that resembled a hallway I came across more burial items. One that especially caught my eye was the “Funerary Figurines” (shabtis). These were items that were included with the deceased that were representative of laborers. In the afterlife the figures were supposed to “come to life” for the deceased, so to speak. Whenever the gods would command the deceased to do work, the laborers would do the work. These figures could be made from many different items such as faience, clay, metal, or wood. During the Third Intermediate Period, there were shabtis for each day of the year. In addition, there were a total of 36 others included to work as “overseers” to manage the workers.

The last item that I would like to mention that sparked a curiosity in me was the “Animal Mummies and Cults” display. Humans were not the only ones being preserved in ancient Egypt. It appears that they also preserved their household pets and other animals as well as offerings. Animal cults referred to a dedication of a particular animal being viewed as the “physical embodiment of a deity”. The best example is the Apis Bull. An entire lavish complex is dedicated to the Apis Bull.

What my observations of the displays showed was that death and the afterlife were very important to the ancient Egyptians. The rituals were specific and a lot of work went into preparing the deceased for the afterlife. In addition, their intense beliefs in various gods and goddesses played a huge part in these rituals. This is a huge contrast to the common modern Americans. Death is generally something that isn’t dealt with until it occurs, the planning is done relatively quickly, and then the loved ones are either buried or cremated. The ancient Egyptians placed a strong emphasis on preparing during life.

What is most interesting to me is the belief that items placed with the deceased would be accessible to them in the afterlife. Where did the ancient Egyptians obtain their knowledge of the afterlife? Were they subject to trance-like states where they were able to see into the afterlife, complete with its gods, goddesses, and iconic images? Is this why specific animals hold a sort of mystical importance with the ancients? How much of the folklore is still alive in Egypt today?

The individuals after death would interact with the various gods and goddesses and needed to be prepared. This would be the equivalent to the modern-day Christian belief that when someone dies they go on to meet “Jesus” or “God”. But it differs in that instruction needs to be given in physical form to prepare for the obstacles encountered in death.

I was incredibly satisfied with my visit to the Michael C Carlos Museum. I look forward to bringing my own children there on many more occasions and to teach them everything I have learned.