Death Masks Research Paper

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Masks of the dead are part of the traditional culture of many countries. A death mask is a wax cast made of a person’s face soon after the person dies. In ancient times, death masks were sculpted masks that were actually put on the faces of the dead. It was believed that ancient people used these masks to protect the dead from evil spirits on their way to the afterworld. The best known of these are the masks used by ancient Egyptians, such as that of Tutankhamun. His death mask is the main reason we still know what Tutankhamun looked like. In the Middle Ages, sculpted masks became true death masks made of wax. These masks were not buried with the dead. Instead, they were used in funerals and were later kept in libraries, museums and universities.

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