Ancient Egyptian Burial Practices

Historians and archaeologists are major parts in the way many historic investigations are completed and how the results are preserved. Historians and archaeologists contribute to our understanding of Egyptian burial practices by completing historic investigations in Egypt and gathering information to help produce evidence of certain activities occurring such as pit burials and mastabas, Tutankhamun is a very important example of how ancient Egyptian burial practices have been understood.

Historians are a major part of all historical investigations worldwide. A historian is an expert in or student in history, especially that of a particular period, geographical region or social phenomenon. Throughout all of Ancient history, historians have always created historic investigations as they research, study and write about the past. During investigations they are concerned with the continuous research of past events. When historians take part in historical investigations they do not do it alone as an archaeologists also contribute to historical investigations.

Pit burials, also known as pit graves, are the earliest form of ancient Egyptian burial practices. All ancient Egyptians, both rich and poor, were buried in shallow pit graves that were situated in the desert. The earliest type of grave housed that corpse and gradually small mementos of the of the deceased were buried with them, such as their weapons or the tools that were used by the deceased. A shallow rectangular grave, usually with rounded corners, was prepared according to the length of the body and was situated on the edge of the desert area. The grave was positioned facing the River Nile, so that the both faced the west. The River Nile in ancient Egypt was believed to be the bridge to the entry to the afterlife. East was the place for beginnings while the west was considered the place of