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Article: RELIGION AND THE AFTERLIFE.(in ancient Egypt)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- September 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Excavations of Egyptian burial sites predating the oldest recovered written documents have revealed much about early Egyptian beliefs. The burial customs practiced at these sites indicate a widespread belief in an afterlife that closely resembled the life these dwellers along the Nile River enjoyed on earth.
In this early period, Egyptians sought to preserve the bodies of the dead on the low desert beyond the reach of the Nile's waters when it overran its banks during the annual Inundation (flood period). The early graves were small ovals or rectangles dug in the sand. They could accommodate the body of the deceased in a contracted position on its left side along ...