Gr. 9, SS Burial Practices Notes

Dear 9th Grader,

Quiz 3 will be on Chapter 11, Section 2 (The Old Kingdom) until "The Pyramids".

Subtopics (notes already taken in class):

• Early Pharaohs 
• Society and Trade
• Religion and Egyptian Life 
• Emphasis on the Afterlife
• Burial Practices (notes below).

BURIAL PRACTICES

• Egyptians believed that a body had to be prepared for the afterlife before the burial. 
• They used to preserve the bodies because they believed that decay wouldn't let Ka to recognize the body and thus not receive its needs (food, drink..etc.)
• to help Ka, Egyptians "embalmed" the bodies to preserve them as mummies (specially treated bodies wrapped in cloths). 
• Embalming preserved the bodies for years 
• Process: 

1. Embalmers cut open the body and removed all organs except for the brains and stored the organs in special Jars.
2. Used special salt to dry out the body 
3. Applied oils to keep good aroma and help cloths stick
4. Wrapped dried-out bodies with linen cloths and bandages
5. The mummy is the placed in a coffin called Sarcophagus

• Only royalty and elite (people of great wealth and power) could afford mummification. 
• Peasants buried their dead in shallow graves in the desert. Hot, dry sand preserved the bodies naturally (not for as much time as embalming).

Good Luck

Ms. Zahra

PS. All topics included in the quiz had been explained in class before the trip. All notes had been provided except for the part provided above. 

You going on the trip or claiming you thought we haven't taken notes or explained certain parts of the lesson are invalid excuses. 

Please also note that the parts after "Burial Practices" (starting with Pyramids) of Section 2 are cancelled.