Essay on the different burials to pharaohs
Introduction
In this essay they will analyze the aspects surrounding the ancient Egyptian funeral rituals, about the perception of death, the funeral art developed and the changes that the transition between the mastabas and the construction of the pyramids as a place of rest of the pharaoons meant.
The period of time in which this writing is located is during the ancient empire of Egypt, which covers approximately 2686 to.C until 2181 to.C, mainly concentrating on dynasties III, IV and V, describing the contributions and changes that occurred during the burials of the ancient Egyptian sovereign.
Like many other cultures, the ancient Egyptians also sought ways to explain and understand the events around them, they gave importance to a common event that is part of nature, death. Due to the socio -economic differences and the importance that falls to the pharaoh, this was the person who needed the most preparation for life in the hereafter, since it could continue a life next to the gods.
The ancient Egyptian people was a polytheistic society, that is, they worshiped various gods, which were in charge of different activities and had specific characteristics, these deities were venerated and offers and sentences were offered so that they cume their duties and duties andThey will not punish humans. All gods are associated with phenomena of nature.
In some cases, the deities are anthropomorphic (they have humanoid characteristics), forming a fusion between the human body and that of an animal, such is the case of Anubis, the guide of the dead and protector of tombs, whose graphical representation is aBody with a jackal head (animal similar to the dog) and that can be found from the first dynasty.
In addition to Anubis, another important deity in relation to death, is the God Osiris, the god of the dead and the resurrection. In Egyptian mythology, Osiris was a good pharaoh who was killed by his brother Seth, and his son came his death. This pharaoh ended up resurrecting and became the king of the dead.
The popularity of Osiris falls on the fact that he became a reincarnated king, which encouraged the beliefs of his followers, among them it is highlighted that all the kings, after death, would become this deity.
One of the first forms of burial of the pharaohs were the mastabas, which were great rectangular constructions whose sides were inclined, they were made of mud bricks and within these were the deceased pharaohs, these forms were popular during the dynasty Iand dynasty II.
But it is not until the arrival of dynasty III that a significant change in the funeral rites carried out for the pharaoh arises. When Djoser or Zoser ascends as the second king of the dynasty, the planning and construction of what we know today as the "stepped pyramid of Zoser" begins, which is part of a funeral complex in Saqqara.
The change in the tombs of the pharaohs presented in Dynasty III, beginning with an alteration of the main material used, brick mastabas are replaced by stone blocks. The staggered pyramid was initially a mast, but due to the changes of plans, the structure ended up being a set of stacked mastabas that decreased their size, forming six large steps.
This enclosure was built in stone, the architect in charge of this work was imhotep, a Zoser vizierPharaohs and outstanding people. Like many other tombs, the staggered pyramid has been looted, but still stone vessels and two sarcophagi have been found, but none of these belonging to Pharaoh.
The construction of a grave was the main task undertaken by each Egyptian during their life. As a result, huge necropolis were erected throughout more than three millennia in the Nile Valley, turning Egypt into the country with the greatest concentration in the world of old monuments per unit area.
Thanks to the archaeological expeditions, it has been found within the tombs vestiges and inscriptions that have served to identify those who belonged to the tombs. From the construction of the staggered pyramid, others followed the same style, but are seriously deteriorated, an example being the stratified or jaba pyramid.
Within the funeral complexes, reliefs and ornaments have been found whose meaning was that of daily activities carried out by the deceased. From these moments the pyramidal form begins to be exclusive to royalty, while those close to Pharaoh were buried near there, in smaller and simple.
Thanks to the eagerness and faith by the Egyptian people towards their gods, the royal tombs were endowed with luxurious objects whose function was to facilitate the arrival not only of the pharaohs, but also of the people to the beyond. Putnam states:
Life in the hereafter would be a recreation of the best moments of earthly existence. That is why the bodies were buried with their favorite belongings, a food reserve and even pawns to perform the jobs. This concern for death was not morbid at all, the cheerful expressions of mummies’ sarcophagi reflect optimism and confidence in eternal life.
But only that capable of controlling a large number of people could achieve the construction of large monuments like these. Pharaoh should be someone prepared enough and have the support of their subjects. In this regard, Damiano-Appia affirms "Egypt could not survive without centralized control of work and resources".
The power exerted on politics and economy was an important factor in the construction of the pyramids, since there is a clear difference between the first pyramids and the last built, and it is in conservation, the most famous pyramids, that of KeopsAnd those of Kefrén and even the staggered, is in a better state due to its construction materials, which eventually changing.
The men who work in the constructions must have a certain degree of ability to not only build the Pharaoh’s tomb, but also had to build their own burial place. There were assistance controls in constructions, and it seems that men spent a large time in two activities: drinking beer and building.
Thanks to various studies carried out that in ancient Egypt, compared to other contemporary societies, it did not have a group belonging to slavery, the entire Egyptian people were free and equal to the pharaoh, this being verified by legal documents ofThe time.
However, the social division was present, and in the few cases of slavery documents, the slave could ascend again on the social scale. A reason why Egyptian citizens did their workers’ work was due to the relationship between pharaohs and deities, who later, during the V dynasty, they would call themselves "children of ra".
The belief of a divine power, as an indeterminate and impersonal force, omnipresent in all its gods, was an essential part of the Egyptian religion […] his belief in the supernatural was closely related to everyday life, his personal relationships, his fears and hopesand his attitude towards the supreme authority of the pharaoh.
During the IV dynasty, the first pharaoh Esnefru, continued with this new form of burial, was experienced and used new work techniques to achieve better pyramids. These were built in Dahshur, separated by a few kilometers is the rhomboid pyramid in the south, while the red pyramid is located to the north.
The rhomboid pyramid is the first smooth facade pyramid and with a slightly larger size, but compared to the red pyramid, the first pale compared to its outer appearance, in addition, the second has a less inclined slope that would help keep keepingThe pyramid in a state of firmness, providing greater durability.
However, the "perfection" of the pyramids would arrive with the second pharaoh of dynasty IV, the tomb of Keops better known as the great pea pyramid or Keops pyramid is a gigantic structure, which estimates that in an origin reached the160m high and contains more than two million stone blocks. Not only does it stand out for its large size but also for its exact measures and alignments, thus forming a canyon for the construction of pyramids.
Despite this, the changes in the tombs of the pharaohThe walls of the pyramids, making their first appearance in the Unis pyramid.
The texts of the pyramids are hieroglyphs that transmit texts of a religious and magical nature, within which funeral rituals and enchantments are found to ensure the well -being of the pharaoh in their next life in the Duat1. Thanks to the Spanish translation of Francisco López and Rosa Thode, we can understand about the thoughts, conceptions, legends and mythology of the ancient Egyptians.
The texts are manifestations of customs and reflection of religious thought that can be traced until the beginning of this civilization. These hieroglyphs followed an order, which begins with the phrase "words to be said". From these statements we can highlight:
- Declaration 6: Prayer of NUT1, the great prolific: my son the king is my beloved;I have given the two horizons so that he can have power in them as Horajti. All the gods say: it is true that the king is the beloved among your children;sail for him forever.
- Declaration 11: NUT Prayer: I have wrapped your beauty in this Ba2 of mine for a lifetime, permanence, domain and health for the king – what live forever!
conclusion
Finally, the introduction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt symbolized a change in the cultural structure of the time, initiating the search for perfection among the presumptuous pharaohs that monopolized their wealth within them. Which resulted in a decay in the constructions, initiating with the change and replacement of materials for some of lower quality and that will cost less than the hauling of stones.
The greater the construction was needed a larger labor group, which meant paid jobs, thus improving the quality of life, since at that time there was no use of currencies in the economy, but rather thatIt was paid by providing food, home, clothing and the satisfaction of other needs.
In addition, we must not forget that the construction of the pyramids are traces of the passage of civilizations, providing a small piece of information with which a panoramic view of ancient Egypt is built.
References
- Bagkov, a. EITHER. (1997). Man and His Double In Egyptian Ideology of the Old Kingdom. Ägypte und altes testament, Munich.
- Damiano-Appia, m. (2006). Archaeological Guide of Egypt and Nubia. Folio, Spain.
- Gardiner, a. (1994). The Egypt of the Pharaohs. Laertes, Barcelona.
- Guy, J. (1998). Egyptian Life. B.AND.S. Publishing, United States.
- Hill, j. (s/f). Anubis. Ancient Egypt online. Recovered from: https: // ancientegyptonline.co.uk/anubis/
- Johnson, p. (2000). Ancient Egypt. Javier Vergara Editor, Buenos Aires.
- López, f., & Thode, R. (2003). Pyramid texts. [PDF file]. Recovered from: http: // www.Egyptology.Org/PDFS/LostextosdeLaspiramides.PDF
- Putnam, j. (2005). Egyptology: The history, art and culture of ancient Egypt. EDIMAT BOOKS, MADRID.
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