Burial Tombs In Ancient Civilizations

Monumental Tombs in Ancient Civilizations One of the most prominent themes of ancient cities is the expression of burials, and how a culture monumentalizes its dead. In many cases, the rulers of a civilization were viewed as divine, or having a close connection with the divine. In order to send these leaders to the afterlife, as well as to remember and glorify them, colossal tombs were built. Often times, the ruler would oversee the construction of his own sepulcher, as the development of such massive structures would take years to complete. In other cultures, burial grounds provided sectors for festivities and worship, with a closer connection to kinship. Although not all ancient civilizations practiced the same burial methods, tombs

This definite knowledge of a social class system suggests that there are figureheads that have great influence within society. One of the easiest ways to identify royalty is by examining their extensive burial practices. Although some may be hesitant to consider this a type of architecture, the amount of city planning, workmanship, and magnitude required to construct cemeteries that held over six thousand individuals requires monumental engineering. Sixteen of the burials are classed as burials of royalty due to their immense stashes of riches and design within the sepulchers. These tombs are also characterized by mudbrick and stone rooms topped with domes and vaults, some of the first in ancient cultures. The bodies were buried in a deep pit that was then covered with dirt and used for an area of worship and reverence. These structures emphasize the drastic difference between the ruling class and the normal citizen. All of the wealth was attributed to royalty, even after

Not only do they represent an incredible feat of ancient engineering, but they also provide an example of the level of veneration given to the pharaohs and other rulers. To the Egyptian people, their pharaohs were gods, selected to lead the people. After death, they would travel to the realm of the divine and continue to watch over Egypt. The apparatus used to glorify and protect the corpse of a ruler changed throughout Egyptian civilization, with the most famous structures being pyramids. Monumental Egyptian burial began with the mastaba tomb. Mastaba tombs contained deep burial chambers with platforms covering them above the surface. These also housed offering chambers that were used by Egyptians to sacrifice to the dead. Next came the step pyramid, a stone structure that had even greater cultural influence. The architecture is still simple, with a deep burial chamber and multiple layers that still ended with a flat platform. Then came the bent pyramid, an attempt by Pharaoh Snefru to create a legitimate pyramid that had to be adjusted in order to compensate for geometric errors. The significance of these buildings lies in the massive amount of developmental surroundings. Fortification walls, temples, and other communal areas often surrounded step pyramids. They not only acted as sepulchers for the dead, but as grounds for festivals of rejuvenation. The Egyptians’ view on the afterlife is such a pivotal