Burial Practices, Afterlife and Mummies Exhibit September 14, 2009

The Egyptians believed in a soul that lived on after death, called a ka; they believed that providing for the needs of the ancestors assured safety and prosperity for the living; they believed that the afterlife was very similar to this life, and so they ensured that their possessions were buried with them. These beliefs led to elaborate burial practices, the building of tombs by the rich and powerful, and of course the mummification process.