One Foot in the Grave: The Organisation of the Mortuary Business in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt

For centuries, the dead of ancient Egypt have attracted scholarly interest and captured the public imagination. Each year, millions of people visit museums and travel to the land of the pharaohs to come face to face with the awe-inspiring mummies and marvel at the vast array of sarcophagi and other funerary goods left to us by the Egyptians. Very few people, however, seem to be aware of the thriving business behind these material remains. Death was a major employer in ancient Egypt: numerous groups of specialised priests and other professionals made their living from mummifying the deceased, arranging funerals and providing the dead with food and drink after their entombment. Hundreds of papyrus texts from Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt offer an exceptionally detailed insight into their dealings over a period of more than a thousand years (712 BC - AD 395). Through a critical analysis of these documents, the proposed project aims to develop a better understanding of (1) the different groups of entrepreneurs involved in the industry, (2) the rights on the basis of which they performed their services and earned their income, (3) the role of the state and the temples in the business, and (4) mechanisms of conflict and social control among the undertakers.