Ancient Egypt is probably the most famous civilization of the ancient world. The people who lived on the banks of the Nile for a thousand years BC, had their own distinctive pantheon of gods and a rich culture. In the philistine consciousness, ancient Egypt is most associated with the mummies of the pharaohs, who attract interest by their mystery and belonging to the cult of death.
The meaning of mummification
The ancient Egyptians believed that after death, a person goes to the afterlife. Therefore, the bodies of the richest and most influential residents of the country after death must have been mummified. This was done with the pharaohs, high priests, aristocrats. The process of processing the corpse was full of various subtleties that were known only in ancient Egypt.
Superstitious inhabitants of the African country believed that the mummies of the pharaohs help their owners to freely go to the afterlife. In the mass consciousness, there was a strong opinion that the rulers were of divine origin, this made their connection with supernatural phenomena even closer. The mummies of the pharaohs were buried in special tombs - pyramids. This style of architecture was a unique Egyptian invention, which became an unprecedented innovation in the Ancient World. Neither in the Mediterranean, nor in Mesopotamia did not build anything like that then. The most famous are the pyramids of Giza.
Mummification Process
Mummification was considered the destiny of the elect, but in fact it could be bought if a person wanted to ensure a quiet stay in the afterlife, as well as if he had enough money for this. But there were procedures available only to the pharaohs and their family members. For example, only their organs were placed in special vessels (canops). For this, the body of the deceased was cut in a special way. The holes were filled with oil, which merged after a few days. Masters who were engaged in mummification were privileged members of society. They knew the science of embalming inaccessible to others. Over the centuries of the existence of Egyptian civilization, these secrets have not become known to other nations, such as the Sumerians.
The organs in the vessels were stored next to the sarcophagus of the mummy. The secrets of the pharaohs were buried along with their bodies. All personal belongings were placed in the tomb, which, according to the religious conviction of the ancient Egyptians, later also regularly served the owners in the other world. The same thing happened with the bodies that were supposed to return to the pharaohs when they were on the other side of being.
Mummy Processing
The treated body was dried, which could last up to 40 days. The procedure allowed him to survive for many years. In order for the body not to lose its shape from natural processes, it was filled with a special solution, which also included sodium. The embalmers got the necessary substances on the banks of the Nile, which was the sacred river of all civilization.
The mummies of the pharaohs of Egypt were also processed by cosmetologists and hairdressers. At the last stage, the body was coated with special oil from wax, resin and other natural ingredients. Finally, the corpse was wrapped in bandages and placed in a sarcophagus, where a mask was put on it. In total, the process of mummification took about 70 days and included the work of a dozen people. The secret craft was taught by the priests of the cult of the Egyptian gods. It was impossible to divulge it. Violations of the law awaited the death penalty.
Valley of the Kings
Along with the mummy, all the property of the deceased was also buried in the tomb: jewelry, furniture, gold, as well as chariots, which were generally a symbol of belonging to the main social layer. Members of one family, as a rule, had their own tomb, which became a family crypt. Archaeologists find several mummies in such pyramids. There were sacred places where especially many pyramids were built. They were in the south of Egypt. This is the Valley of the Kings, as well as the Valley of the Queens. Representatives of several dynasties that ruled the ancient state found their peace here.
The ancient capital of Egypt was Thebes. It is in its place is the famous Valley of the Kings. This is a vast necropolis in which many mummies of the pharaohs were kept. The valley was discovered almost by accident by the scientific brothers Rasuli during their expedition in 1871. Since then, the work of archaeologists has not stopped here for a single day.
Cheops
One of the most famous is the mummy of Pharaoh Cheops. He ruled Egypt in the XXVI century BC. e. His figure was known to ancient historians, including Herodotus. This fact alone suggests that this pharaoh was indeed great even in comparison with his predecessors and successors, because the names of many pharaohs were not preserved at all in any historical source.
Cheops was a despot, severely punishing his subjects for any mistake. He was merciless to his enemies. Such a character was familiar to the rulers of Ancient Egypt, whose power, as contemporaries believed, came from the gods, which gave the pharaohs carte blanche for any whims. At the same time, the people did not try to resist. Cheops also became known for fighting on the Sinai Peninsula against the Bedouins.
The Pyramid of Cheops
But the greatest achievement of this pharaoh is precisely the pyramid, which was built for his own mummy. The rulers of Egypt prepared for their death in advance. Already during the life of the pharaoh, the construction of his pyramid began, where he was to find eternal peace. Cheops was no exception to this rule.
However, its pyramid struck with its size all contemporaries and distant descendants. It was included in the list of 7 ancient wonders of the world and remains the only monument from this list that has existed to this day.
The cult complex in Giza
The lost mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh was kept inside a huge labyrinth of corridors inside a structure 137 meters high. This indicator was beaten only at the end of the 19th century, when the Eiffel Tower appeared in Paris. Cheops himself chose the place of his tomb. They became a plateau in the modern city of Giza. In his era, it was the northern edge of the cemetery of ancient Memphis - the capital of Egypt.
Together with the pyramid, a monumental sculpture of the Great Sphinx was created, which is known to the whole world no worse than the pyramid itself. Cheops hoped that over time a whole complex of ritual structures dedicated to his dynasty would appear on this place.
Ramses II
Another great pharaoh of Egypt was Ramses II. He ruled almost his entire long life (1279-1213 years. BC. E.). His name went down in history thanks to a series of military campaigns against neighbors. Most known conflict with the Hittites. Ramses built a lot during his lifetime. He founded several cities, most of which were named after him.
It was the ruler who changed and transformed Ancient Egypt. The mummies of the pharaohs often became the objects of hunting for grave diggers. The tomb of Ramses II was no exception. The priests of Egypt made sure that the royal necropolises remained untouched. While ancient civilization still existed, the body of this ruler was reburied several times. First, the mummy of Pharaoh Ramses was placed in the crypt of his own father. It is not known exactly when he was looted, but in the end, the priests found a new place for the body. They became a carefully hidden cache, which belonged to the pharaoh Herichor. Mummies from other tombs, robbed by robbers, were also placed there. These were the bodies of Thutmose III and Ramses III.
Fighting grave robbers
The cache was discovered only in the 19th century. First, he was found by Arab grave robbers. In those times, it was a lucrative business, as there were still many treasures in African sand that were sold at a good price in European black markets. As a rule, robbers are interested in treasures and precious stones, and not the mummies of the pharaohs of Egypt. Photos of devastated graves confirm this trend.
However, already in the 19th century, Egyptian authorities created a special ministry that monitored the illegal trade in antiquities. Soon, a source of jewelry was discovered. So in 1881, the unspoiled mummy of Ramses fell into the hands of scientists. Since then, it has been kept in various museums. Studying it, researchers around the world still receive new information about mummification. In 1975, the remains were subjected to a unique modern conservation procedure, which allowed to preserve the surviving artifact of the past.
Such a case is an extreme success for the scientific community. As a rule, when a new tomb is discovered, nothing remains in it, including the mummy. The secrets of the pharaohs and their wealth for many centuries have attracted adventure seekers and merchants.
Tutankhamun
In popular culture, the mummy of Tutankhamun is best known. This pharaoh ruled at a young age from 1332 to 1323 BC. e. He died at the age of 20. During his lifetime, he did not stand out among his predecessors and successors. His name became known due to the fact that his tomb was not touched by the ancient looters.
Modern scientific studies of the mummy have made it possible to study in detail the circumstances of the death of the young man. Prior to this, it was widely believed that Tutankhamun was forcibly killed by his regent. However, this does not confirm the mummy of the pharaoh of Egypt. The pyramid in which it was stored was full of bottles of medicine for malaria. Modern DNA analysis did not exclude the version that the young man had a serious illness, because of which he died prematurely.
When a team of archaeologists discovered the crypt in 1922, it was full of all kinds of unique artifacts. It was the tomb of Tutankhamun that allowed modern science to recreate the environment in which the mummies of the pharaohs of Egypt were buried. Photos of the tomb immediately penetrated the Western press and became a sensation.
Curse of the Pharaohs
An even greater hype around Tutankhamun's tomb began when Lord George Carnavon, who had funded a study of a distant find, unexpectedly passed away. The Englishman died in a Cairo hotel shortly after an ancient crypt was opened. The press immediately picked up this story. Soon there were new dead associated with the archaeological expedition. Rumors circulated in the press that there was a curse that fell on the heads of those who entered the tomb.
A popular point of view was the idea that the mummy of the pharaoh was the source of evil. Photos of the deceased fell into widely circulated obituaries. Over time, rebuttals appeared that dispelled the myth of the curse. Nevertheless, the legend has become a popular subject of Western culture. In the XX century, several feature films dedicated to the curse were shot.
To a large extent, it was thanks to them that the theme of Ancient Egypt gained popularity among the widest public. Any news became known in which this or that mummy appears. The tomb of the pharaohs, which would be intact and untouched, has not been found since the discovery of Tutankhamun.