Ancient Egyptian burial practices changed over centuries

Researchers from the University of La Laguna discovered that ancient Egyptians changed how they buried the dead over several historical periods.

The scientists examined various graves at the Thebanske Nekropolis, an ancient cemetery in Egypt. The study reveals that burial methods shifted as the site was used over centuries. During the 25th dynasty between 754 and 656 BCE, people placed bodies in coffins with amulets and burial nets used as shrouds.

By the Persian period between 680 and 404 BCE, people began to pack bodies as closely together as possible to maximize space. During the Ptolemaic period between 305 and 30 BCE, the practice shifted again to burying bodies on top of one another. The researchers found that people transformed the cemetery without erasing previous remains. One of the study authors, Carballo-Pérez, says these findings help people understand the social behaviors behind these changing burial practices.