The first two dynasties are often labeled the Early Dynastic or Archaic Period. Although this period is poorly known, it seems that the main features of Egyptian civilization were established then: not only the conventions of drawing the human body and hieroglyphic writing but also the organization of the state, religious and funerary beliefs, and art and architectural forms. Our assessment of these important developments depends heavily on the monumental tomb complexes that have survived so well. Written documents are short, and the towns, such as Memphis, the early capital, buried in Nile silt or under modern occupation, are difficult to investigate. Since the tomb complexes were erected in the desert beyond the zone of cultivation, they have been much more accessible to archaeologists. Abydos and Saqqara contain the key cemeteries of the period.
The dry climate of Egypt, because it preserves organic materials — including the human body — surely influenced Egyptian notions of the afterlife. The Egyptians believed that life continued after death with little change. The body was resurrected, and the deceased led the same sort of life he did before: the same family members, village, and socio-economic conditions. But this afterlife did not materialize automatically. Burial procedures and rites had to be performed correctly and, at least from the Fifth Dynasty on, Osiris, the god of the underworld, had to give his approval. The wrapping of the body, the selection of objects placed in the grave, and the decoration of the tomb were carefully done to ensure that the deceased reached the afterlife and flourished there. Thieves could disrupt this well-planned journey, however. In consequence, the long history of tomb design in ancient Egypt was the never-ending search for the perfect protection for the body and accompanying materials.
World History
