Ancient Egyptian Tombs: The Culture of Life and Death

Ancient Egyptian tombs were not designed as places where the dead were buried and forgotten. They were the places where carefully preserved bodies were securely stored for eternity. The best of them were architecturally spectacular, richly decorated with carved and painted reliefs, and replete with a range of specialized grave-goods and statues. Their prominent visibility was a reminder of the ongoing relationship between the dead and the living.

These collections of extraordinary physical evidence, unique in the ancient world, tell us a great deal about how the Egyptians regarded the afterlife. Using all of the relevant data available, including architecture, artefacts and texts, this book explores the development of the tomb as a cultural phenomenon in Ancient Egypt. The author discusses tombs within the context of everyday life, particularly ongoing social and economic relationships, while stressing the importance of the tomb as an eternal expression of the self.