Ancient Egyptian Burials Trivia Quiz

Answer: They believed they would act as servants to the deceased in the afterlife.

Shabti figures have hieroglyphs written on them. The Ancient Egyptians believed that when these spells were read out they would cause the shabtis to awaken and do their masters' bidding.

Answer: He was buried with 413 shabtis.

There were many different types of shabtis found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. There were many different sizes, shapes and qualities of shabtis present. Many had different functions, which could be seen from the dress depicted. Some had farm tools, whereas others were were shown dressed in fine clothes. This showed the different functions of the various servants.

Answer: "The Book of Coming Forth by Day" or, in a slightly different translation, "the Book of Emerging Forth into Light".

The "Book of Coming Forth by Day", or the "Book of Emerging into Light"(rw nw prt m hrw), is a collection of spells to help guide the deceased into the afterlife. It is written on papyrus, and beautifully illustrated with scenes from the spells, such as the weighing of the heart. Some of the most beautiful books of the dead are those of Hunefer and Ani.

Answer: The Egyptians believed that in the afterlife, these objects would "function correctly"

In the tomb of Tutankhamun, many such objects were found. Most of the beautiful furniture found, including the famous animal-headed beds,were unusable or impractical. Thin sandals made of hammered gold were also found.
In early Ancient Egypt, they tended to bury the object with the deceased; in later times they tended to bury a representation of it. This can be seen by the boat models in tombs such as Tutankhamun's (as opposed to the actual boats found near pyramids), and shabtis, instead of the far earlier practice of sacrificed humans.

Answer: To allow the ka of the deceased to travel to and from the spirit world, and to receive offerings.

Large false doors are frequently found within tombs and mortuary temples. They are made of stone, and many are in the shape of a "palace facade". They have hieroglyphs on them. Most are purely symbolic, but in some cases have moving doors.

Answer: The opening of the mouth ritual.

The opening of the mouth ritual was performed by a priest in order to animate the mummified corpse, and allow it to speak and breath in the afterlife. It is shown in the Book of the Dead, and Anubis is often shown performing the ritual. These tools, made of stone and placed in slots within a stone block, have been found within tombs.

Answer: Pillows and human sacrifices.

Pillows have never been found in Egyptian tombs. They used uncomfortable-looking headrests, often made from stone. Human sacrifices were only in early tombs, not in New Kingdom tombs.

Answer: Ankh- b, djed pillar- a, was scepter- c

All three of these symbols can be seen frequently in Egypt. They are often shown together. The djed pillar was originally associated with Ptah, but later with Osiris. It is sometimes called "the backbone of Osiris". It is often painted on the bottom of a coffin, where the deceased's spine would lie.

The was scepter is often shown being carried by the deceased or by deities in mortuary scenes.

Answer: Hieroglyphs.

Hieratic and demotic were used in everyday life by the Egyptians, as they were quicker and easier to use. Hieroglyphs, however, took far longer to write, but had the advantage of looking beautiful and of being more formal. They were thus used in tombs and temples for decoration.

Answer: The deceased's titles, such as "sandal bearer to the king".

The Egyptian nobles had many strange titles, many of which are believed to be purely honorofic. Titles such as sandal bearer to the king, fan bearer on the right side of the king or servant in the place of truth are frequently found within tombs, repeated many times to emphasis the power and social standing of the deceased.