ChildhoodAncient Egyptian wooden model of a servant girlFirst Intermediate Period (2181 – 2040 BC)H 52cm
Many objects like this one have been found during excavations of ancient Egyptian tombs. They illustrate the ancient Egyptian cult of the dead and their ideas about the afterlife. The afterlife was seen as a continuation of earthly life. Objects were placed in the tomb to ensure a continued existence the same as that on earth. The tomb was also equipped with magic and religious items like amulets and statues. The Egyptians believed that the body had to be preserved and placed in a tomb with a supply of food and drink. The dead also needed a coffin or stela (stone tablet) with the name of the dead person recorded on it to maintain their identity. Offerings were made and prayers said so that the sole could survive. This painted wooden model of a servant girl comes from a tomb excavated in Beni Hasan, northern Egypt. She is carrying a chest on her head and two geese in her hand. Model servant girls like this brought food and drink to the dead in the afterlife. Other models at World Museum Liverpool show men and women making beer, slaughtering oxen and girls bringing ducks and pigeons and baskets of food or beer on their heads. There are also models depicting boats and workshops for carpenters, weavers or potters. During the First Intermediate Period (2181 – 2040 BC) and the Middle Kingdom (2133 – 1786 BC), it became fashionable to substitute crude wooden models for more sophisticated tomb paintings. As well as showing us how the ancient Egyptians dealt with death and the afterlife, objects like this show us what everyday life was like for the living. Children worked as servants in the homes of richer Egyptians, as well as working on the land with their families. Most children did not go to school, only the rich. Even then, it was only the boys who received the best education and learnt to read and write. Find out more about life in ancient Egypt in our fun online feature, The Nile File. In this section
|
