13 treasures the ancient Egyptians buried with their dead, and what they mean

The ancient Egyptians are known for their lavish and complex burials. Over the centuries, archaeologists have found a variety of grave goods and decorations that were included in these millennia-old tombs. Here are 13 grave goods that keep turning up in Egyptian burials, including shabti figurines, meant to work for the deceased in the afterlife, and mummy portraits that offer lifelike pictures of the dead.

Mummy portraitsMummy portraits show vivid images of the deceased. Examples painted on wooden panels were created between the middle of the first century and the middle of the third century A.D., while examples painted on shrouds kept being created through the fourth century, Susan Walker, an honorary curator and former keeper of antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford, told Live Science in an email.

Canopic jarsCanopic jars held some of the organs of the deceased that were removed during the mummification process. Each organ, such as the lungs, liver, intestines and stomach, had their own jar according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Artwork in tombs sometimes also showed images of daily life in Egypt, as well as plants, animals and wildlife. They could even feature images of athletic events, such as wrestling and dancing. Hieroglyphs were sometimes drawn next to the wall paintings and provided information on who was buried in the tomb and what they did during their life.

Other times, statues showed the deceased and their families. For instance, in April 2023, archaeologists announced that they had found a 3,300-year-old tomb at Saqqara that belonged to a man named Panehsy. Inside, they found a statue of Panehsy and his family carved in relief.

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When did the ancient Egyptians first mummify their dead?Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.
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