TOMB RAIDS ALREADY IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Tomb robberies was looked at as the worst sin an Egyptian could commit.

Since they destroyed the body and took their articles; they stole his chances of a  happy afterlife which was the most important thing.

Priest laid curses on tomb robbers at first and when that did not deter them they put the body deep inside the pyramid or rocks. The entrance was blocked and sealed.

Despite of all the effort the temptation was too much and tomb robbing was a common crime along the Nile. They left the seal untouched and borrowed into the tombs.

They threw the mummies out of the coffin and torn off the wrapping to steal the valuable jewellery which were concealed there.

Kings and Nobles of the New Kingdom (1570-332 BC) were buried in the remote rocky Valley of the Kings near Thebes. It was hoped their tombs would be safe there.

According to history, tomb robbery is not a new crime but they were plundered between 1200 and 1000 BC. Priests had to take action and hid 36 Royal mummies deep in a cliff and another 13 in the grave of Amenophis. They were discovered only in the 19th centuries.

The only tomb to remain untouched was that of Tutankhamun

Mummification

Ir is a long and complicated process.

1) Take the body to the embalming house.

2) Soften the brain in a secret chemical ad then draw it out through the nose.

3) Make a slit in the corpse's side and remove the internal organs. Dry, wrap in linen and store in jars - one each for the intestines. The lids of the jars were carvings of the four sons of Honus.

4) Leave the heart - the seat of the intellect and emotions - in place because it will be needed at the judgement.

5) Stuff the inside of the body with sawdust, leaves and linen.
6) Put natron - a salt found in deserts - around it and leave for 40 days.

7) Wash the natron off and remove the stuffing. Anoint the body with sweet smelling oils, Re-stuff it with linen soaked in resin.

8) Wrap the corpse tightly in linen bandages. Place small charms and amulets between bandage layers to guard against evil in the next world. Recite prayers and spells continuously for about 30 days.

9) Place bandaged  corpse in one of or several painted and decorated mummy cases.

Pyramid Workers

To start with  rough blocks of stone from the quarries had to be finely measured and cut by highly skilled masons.

Every stone was marked to make sure it went to the right spot on the pyramid.  The final shaping was done just before the stone was pushed into position.

Apart from masons there were others skilled workers on the site; surveyors; carpenters and metalworkers who made and sharpened tools needed for construction work.

Teams of labourers used sledges, rollers, levers and thick fibre ropes to get blocks of raw stone to the site of the pyramid construction.