1. What is the Egyptian view of the soul?

Egyptians believed that the human soul was made up of five parts: Ren (name) Ba (soul) Ka
(spirit) Sheut (shadow) and the Ib (heart). In addition to the soul was the human body the (ha).
All were considered to be very important and were to remain pure in order to have a
pleasurable afterlife.

2. What are some of the key elements of the Egyptian funerary texts and what was their purpose?

The Egyptian funerary texts are a collection of religious beliefs that were designed to insure the
soul reaches a desirable afterlife. Mummification was very important to the Egyptians, this
preserved the body. Then it was placed inside a tomb with these funerary texts as a guide to
the afterlife. These rituals are linked to their mythology. It shows that this ancient civilization
had a belief system and the sacred text was a way for the living to ease the fear of death. This
also gave the Egyptians immortality saying if all were done correctly that individual could live
forever.

3. What are some of the most important elements of the Roman views of death and how do they
relate to their burial practices?

Romans had two burial practices cremation and burial. Some of their rituals included dressing
the body in his finest clothing and placing coins in the mouth and over the eyes so the deceased
would be able to pay the ferryman to row him to the land of the dead. After 8 days they would
bury the body. During a cremation loved ones would toss in things the deceased would take to
the afterlife. To prevent the spread of disease they would bury outside the city. Depending on
how wealthy the person was also determined the time of day the burial took place.

4. What did the Greeks believe in regards to death and how did it relate to their funerary practice?

Greeks believed that at the moment of death the spirit leaves the body as breath or puff of air.
The deceased were then prepared according to time-honored traditions. If they were not
prepared accordingly it was considered an insult. When a person died they were washed and
anointed with oil. The body was dressed and placed on a high bed for viewing. They were buried
in mounds or statues would be placed. This was done so that the dead would not be forgotten.

5. The Inca had a belief in a duality of death biological and social. How did this affect their lives?

Incas viewed death in two different ways. The first way was a physical death, when the human
body ceased to work. The second way was a social death, when the memory of one was
forgotten. The Inca would mummify the deceased and viewed the mummy as a sacred object.
Mummies were thought to have special abilities and were able to connect us to the dead. They
were looked at as Gods and the Incans began to live around the mummies. They were brought
out in social gatherings and were often asked questions to predict the future. This eventually led
to the downfall of the Incan society. Incans sacrificed and offered too many resources to the
dead that they could not support the living.