Living with the Dead presents a detailed analysis of ancestor worship in
Egypt, using a diverse range of material, both archaeological and
anthropological, to examine the relationship between the living and the
dead. Iconography and terminology associated with the deceased reveal
indistinct differences between the blessedness and malevolence and that
the potent spirit of the dead required constant propitiation in the form
of worship and offerings. A range of evidence is presented for mortuary
cults that were in operation throughout Egyptian history and for the
various places, such as the house, shrines, chapels and tomb doorways,
where the living could interact with the dead. The private statue cult,
where images of individuals were venerated as intermediaries between
people and the Gods is also discussed. Collective gatherings and ritual
feasting accompanied the burial rites with separate, mortuary banquets
serving to maintain ongoing ritual practices focusing on the deceased.
Something of a contradiction in attitudes is expressed in the evidence
for tomb robbery, the reuse of tombs and funerary equipment and the ways
in which communities dealt with the death and burial of children and
others on the fringe of society. This significant study furthers our
understanding of the complex relationship the ancient Egyptians had with
death and with their ancestors; both recently departed and those in the
distant past.
