Narrative

Previous research has shown that funerary practices among the elite of the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt changed from the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty to the end of the Twentieth Dynasty. My book engages with an area of Egyptian archaeology which has largely been overlooked: the funerary practices of the non-elite.

It reconsiders existing site data and reports from the early Twentieth century by using modern theoretical and statistical techniques in an attempt to broaden our knowledge and understanding of the poorer classes of Pharaonic Egypt.

Analysis and interpretation of the results indicates that the funerary practices of the non-elite, in relation to their grave assemblages, mirrored the wealthier members of society in their practices across the same time-line. However, the reasons for the change are a matter of conjecture since interpretation of the findings has proved to be inconclusive.

This study  throws  some light on this interesting, but often-neglected, aspect of Ancient Egyptian society, furthering our knowledge of their religious practices and beliefs, and laying a foundation for future research into the sites which have been analysed.