Mummies provides a window on the world of ancient Egypt, beginning about 2,600 years before the birth of Christ. The first part of the documentary focuses on mummies and pyramids, detailing the funerary rites and religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.

Part 1

Part 1 recounts the ancients’ views of the afterlife, provides an in-depth description of the process for preserving bodies, and discusses the construction and function of the pyramids.

It will be useful for high school students interested in ancient history and the history of art.

• Immortality
• Pharaoh
• archeologist
• cosmic
• dehydration
• embalmer
• hieroglyphs
• mortuary
• necropolis
• psyche
• pyramid
• sarcophagus
• sphinx
• symbol

1. How important was the geography or natural environment in sustaining ancient Egyptian civilization?

2. Why was the preservation of the body so important to the ancient Egyptians? What did they believe happened to a person after death? How was the spiritual aspect of a person preserved?

3. What caused natural mummification?

4. Describe the process of artificial mummification. How do we know about this process?

5. Why were priests present during the embalming?

6. What did the sun symbolize to the ancient Egyptians? How was it significant to the funerary ritual?

7. Why were pyramids called “Houses of Eternity”? What function did the pyramid serve? Who was buried in the pyramids? What did the pyramids represent in the ancient belief system?

8. What do we know about the construction of the pyramids? Who built them? Who designed them? What types of tools were used? How have scholars learned about this process? Why does much of this process remain a mystery?

9. Why was the king’s body places in a sarcophagus?

1. Write an essay in which you compare ancient Egyptian and contemporary views of the afterlife. How do contemporary Christians, Jews, Moslems, or Hindus view death? How are their views enacted in funeral rituals? What do funeral rituals tell us about particular cultures and their belief systems?

2. Make a series of drawings depicting the evolutions of Egyptian burial sites from dirt mounds to the massive pyramids at Giza. Provide approximate dates for each drawing and a short description of the construction process and design.

3. Make a diagram of the pyramid at Khufu, showing the internal chambers and passages, and detailing the surrounding necropolis. Explain the significance of each of the features in the pyramid design. Why, for example, were there two passages leading out of the burial chamber? Why did the main entrance face north?

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Air Dates

• May 10, 2004