The key image of interpretation of funerary rituals A study of ancient Egyptian iconography

Abstract

In Pharaonic Egypt, the funerary context constitutes a material structure to ensure the life in the Hereafter not only to the deceased, but to the whole community, since it perpetuates its values and behavior patterns through the ritual practices. The integration of the deceased into a cosmic renewal justified the construction of every tomb and revealed the social foundations of the funerary practices. This ideology was embodied in the mortuary monuments of the Theban elite from the 18th dynasty. We are interested in applying the iconological method to decode the practices of rites of passage, that were displayed in the scenes that integrate the decorative program on nobles’ tombs.

Keywords

• antiguo egipto
• ritual
• epigrafía funeraria