The Contents of the Tomb and What They Suggest About Life...

The Contents of the Tomb and What They Suggest About Life in Ancient Egypt at the Time of Tutankamun Archaeological evidence from the tomb of Tutankhamun provides substantial information about life Kingdom Egypt in the eighteenth dynasty. From the archaeological evidence gained from the tombs conclusions can be drawn about religion and the afterlife, the everyday life of ancient Egyptians, of Government during the five hundred year period, and of the arts and sciences of the time. The tomb paintings reveal the nature of the Egyptian belief concerning the afterlife, and objects such as the golden burial mask, the miniature effigy of the king, the canopic shrine and miscellaneous pieces of furniture†¦show more content†¦The idea that the in order to reach immortality, one must go through a journey, as symbolised by a journey on a celestial boat through the heavens is another indication of their religious beliefs. The portrait head of Tutankhamun rising out of a blue lotus flower, reflects the Egyptian belief that life grew out of a primeval mound, as a result of observing the annual flooding of the Nile. This creation myth is at the heart of many of their religious myths. The golden burial mask, sheds light on the Egyptian belief in the afterlife, as one which in its initial stage as being dangerous because the presence of the cobras (ureus) is there to spit venom into anyone who might harm the king. The ornate quality of this mask reflects a deeply seated notion of the afterlife. The fact that the mask is supposed to protect the body reflects the Egyptian belief in the afterlife where bodies need to be preserved in order to unify the physical components of the body with its ka. The ankh, which Tutankhamun holds, and the presence of the god Khephri is a reflection of the belief that death is a rebirth into the next world. The wooden miniature effigy of the king, placed in tombs as a substitute for the deceased in case the god Osiris orders him to perform manual labour in the next life is indicative of a very strong belief in the afterlife. The presence of the canopic shrine, protected by