A mummy was buried with whatever her Ka might need in the afterlife. Although they could meet all their needs thanks to magic, the wealthy would still take their valuables to their graves. The richer the deceased was, the more there would be in the food rooms.

The family and friends of the deceased would gather once a year in the room outside the tomb to commemorate the deceased. Special songs were composed for this event. For those who could not afford to have a room built, a picnic known as the 'Valley Feast' was held in the open area.

There was a problem with Ka being fed for eternity. Some families would solve this problem by giving a piece of land to the cemetery priests to feed their deceased relatives. Some also resorted to magic.

The pictures in the tombs of ordinary men and women tell us a lot about how the Egyptians lived. Family life, growing crops, brewing, building a house made of wood and stone.

The tomb paintings were like DVDs of perfect life for the dead that could be played continuously in eternity. The deceased was always portrayed very young and healthy. This is perhaps because work on many tombs began when the person was still very young.

Kingdom tombs, by contrast, were decorated with sacred images. King Tutankhamun's mummy was surrounded by scenes from his journey to the afterlife and enchanted to aid him in his journey. In the passage leading to the burial chamber, the 12 hours of the night are depicted to ensure that the sun will rise again the next day during the nightly journey of the deceased pharaoh.

Grave magic had other benefits as well. It was believed that pharaohs and nobles needed servants after they died. During the Old Kingdom, servants were killed to accompany their king into the afterlife. By the Middle Kingdom period, this massacre was over, and the model known as shabti (ushabti) placed in the tombs of noble Egyptians became used instead of servants. Powerful spells were cast to revive the shabti, enabling the masters or ladies to assist the gods in the afterlife when they asked them to.

The shabti, ranging in length from 10-60 cm, were made of stone, wood, blue-polished pottery and metal. The names and titles of the deceased they served were usually written on them.

During the Middle Kingdom, 2-5 shabti were also placed in their own small coffins. These were previously used to replace the real mummy if it were destroyed. Later, they took place as groups such as soldier squads or cook teams.

Rather than having their arms crossed, they would have tools and weapons in their hands. These shabtis were servants of the dead. From the 18th Dynasty, the pharaohs could not get enough of these shabti.

 

Source: Jim Pipe- Ancient Egypt, Mummies, Magic and Myths