X Go Ask Your Mummy

Go Ask Your Mummy

How can all these animals help Nebnetcheru?

Mummy Case of Nebnetcheru, Provenance unknown, Dynasty 21 or 22 (1075-721 b.c.), Cartonnage over wood with painted decoration, Box: 172 x 45.5 cm., Lid: 171.5 x 39.5 cm., Purchased from N. Tano, 1924

Theme: Gods, Goddesses, and Animals

Goal: Students will be able to identify animals, and their manifestations

as gods, and articulate the role they played in the transition into

the afterlife.

Grade Levels: 3-5

Curriculum Areas: Writing, Communications, Art

Materials

Worksheets 1 and 2, image of Mummy Case of Nebnetcheru,

writing instruments and crayons (optional)

Mummy Case of Nebnetcheru

Say "ancient Egypt" and most people will eventually think of mummies. In fact, one of the characteristic features of Ancient Egyptian culture was the burial practice of preserving the body and equipping it in burial for their life in the afterlife. This mummy case has row upon row of writing and images like strips of cloth that would have wrapped the mummy itself. Far from being purely decorative, the paintings on this case provide insight into the Egyptian view of what happened to a person once they breathed their last breath.

Before you look at specific images, look at the overall layout of the case. Orderly markings, repeating patterns, mirror images, and simple colors reflect a world view that saw life as predictable and rational, and while life was maybe not wholly controllable, at least one could go through the system and appease who you needed to.

Along with the hieroglyphic text, the artist has provided a visual story for us to follow. Find the scene in the second register from the top that has a seated figure in the middle. This is the portrayal of a scene from the classic funerary text, the Book of the Dead.

Osiris, the seated figure, is the chief god of the underworld. The owner of the mummy case, Nebnetcheru (the figure dressed in white) is being brought to Osiris for presentation. Two gods are leading him: Horus, the son of Osiris, with the falcon head and Thoth, the god of learning and wisdom, with a head of a bird. Not shown on this case, but next in the sequence, was the deceased’s heart being weighed in judgement.

The weighing of the heart, the seat of identity and memory, illustrates the ancient Egyptian principle of ma’at—balance, order, and truth—by which all Egyptians sought to guide their lives. In the Hall of Two Truths, Osiris and a panel of judges weigh the heart of the deceased against the feather of Ma’at, the symbol of truth, justice, and order. Most well prepared people recited a prayer of Negative Confession:

"I have not done falsehood against men.

I have not impoverished my associates.

I have done no wromg in the Place of Truth.

I have not learned that which is not.

I have done no evil . . ."

The scales remained in equilibrium as long as the deceased spoke the truth. Anubis and Horus verified the results. The god Thoth made a written record and reported the outcome. If heart and feather were of equal weight, the deceased was welcomed into the domain of Osiris. If not, a "swallowing monster"—a hybrid crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus—would swallow it whole.

Animal forms on the mummy case of Nebnetcheru are represented in two ways: as complete animals such as the jackals sitting in profile above the scene with Osiris; and as composites with human bodies, as with the figures of Horus and Thoth. Most gods in the Egyptian cosmos were known by their animal representation and qualities associated with that animal. Ancient Egyptians would recognize all the animals shown on this case—the jackal, the cow, or the vulture—as specific gods that would assist the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife.

Nebnetcheru was a priest for the temple of a god named Amun-Ra in Karnak. In order for his journey after he died to go as smoothly as possible, he ensured that his body would be wrapped in instructions and images of protection.

Objective 1

Students will identify four animal gods of Egyptian art from images and written descriptions.

Procedure
What Teacher Does	What Students Do
Pass out Worksheet #1 to all the students. Worksheet #1 can either serve as a review if your class has been studying Egyptian art or as an introduction to some of the key figures in Egyptian art. Review matches with students.	Students complete matching worksheet in pairs or on their own. All answers can be determined by looking at the figures on the left of the worksheet.

Assessment Strategies

Students successfully match the figures to their descriptions.

Objective 2

Students will observe and describe the visual elements of the Mummy Case of Nebnetcheru and identify the main animals.

Procedure
What Teacher Does	What Students Do
Introduce the object by showing the image of the mummy case. Explain to the students the key points: the case is made out of cartonnage, a form of smooth plaster; made for Nebnetcheru, a priest for the temple of a god named Amun-Ra in Karnak. (He wanted his journey after he died to go as smoothly as possible, so his mummy case has on it directions for what he wants to have happen as well as some gods he would like to help him as he goes through this trip.) Lead guided-looking: Ask the students to list everything they can find painted on the case. Can you find any patterns and/or repeated parts? Do you see any writing or hieroglyphics? What animals can you identify? Do you recognize any animal gods from the worksheet? What would you guess some of the most important animals would be, and why?	Review animals and attributes from Worksheet #1 and find all their appearances on the mummy case.

Assessment Strategies

Students are able to find at least one occurrence of the four animals.

Objective 3

Students will develop a list of animals with specific qualities associated with assistance.

Procedure
What Teacher Does	What Students Do
Discuss with students: "Egyptians identified characteristics of animals with certain powers that could be helpful to humans, especially if they were going into an unknown situation. What qualities do animals we know have that could help us?" Have the students pick one or two areas and identify what parts of the animal can be specifically identified with their characteristics. (For example, a bulldog’s face shows it is fierce, a deer’s legs show that it is swift.)	Either in small groups or as a class, students create lists of animals that fit under each of the following categories: Clever, Brave, Helpful, Loyal, Graceful, Smart, Strong, Swift, Fierce, and any other qualities you would want someone to have as you go to a new place.

Assessment Strategies

Students are able to name animals that exhibit the characteristics on the list.

Objective 4

Students will create a helper animal based on the characteristics they determine as personally important.

Procedure
What Teacher Does	What Students Do
Either on paper or by using Worksheet #2, have the students use the animal list that they brainstormed to create a composite animal that could help them in a transition situation.

Assessment Strategies

Students are able to create a composite animal showing at least three characteristics that would make them a helper to the student.

Reading the Case of the Mummy

Worksheet #1

Name

Can you figure out who these Egyptian animals are? Look carefully at the pictures and read the clues. Try to match the picture to the clues.

The god Anubis takes on my form. I am a wild dog, a jackal, which protects the dead.

I fly high above the earth, my falcon eyes watching everything. As Horus, the god of kings, I often have the body of a human underneath my falcon head.

I am calm and kind, protecting mothers and their children. My name is Hathor, and if I were a real cow, I could give you milk.

My long, skinny beak is good for scooping food out of the marshes where I live. And as Thoth, I am the god of wisdom and writing. My beak looks a little like something you could write with, don’t you think?

Reading the Case of the Mummy

Worksheet #2

Name

Now you can make your own idea of what a good helper animal would look like. Think about what qualities would be important to have in an animal that would be able to help you. Ancient Egyptians thought qualities like kindness, wisdom, and protection were important. Use at least three qualities in creating your figure with animal features.

Head like a

Seeing like a

Holding a

Hands like a

Legs that move like a

Feet like a

With this animal to help me, I could