The False Door of Ankh Hathor

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The False Door of Ankh-Hathor The Ancient Near East is characterized by being home to many of the world’s earliest known civilizations, each rich with its own unique culture and practices. Ancient Egypt is a chief example of one of these early societies. Ancient Egypt had an incredibly distinctive history, and one of the best documented. Through artifacts like tombs, temples, and the famed pyramids of Giza, historians are able to create a clear picture of what life was allegedly like in early Egypt. Ancient Egyptians were known for their practices following death. Their stress of the afterlife and preservation of bodies are one of the main reasons we know so much about them as a people today. Upon visiting the Princeton Art Museum, the False Door of Ankh-Hathor caught my eye because of its use in tombs. False doors were a common architectural feature of the Old Kingdom (2686 BC - 2181 BC). Though there are some artistic variations among the layouts of the door, they all serve the same purpose: to help the spirit’s travel in and out of the tomb. Though there is no true evidence or documentation of the spirit’s travel, the door was symbolic to the people of Egypt. The living took pride in the false door, for they knew that the spirit could travel freely and eventually return to his or her resting place. Egyptians often mummified pets alongside the dead and included some of their most prized possesions from their mortal life in case they were needed in the afterlife. False doors allowed the deceased a chance to travel back to their site of burial and accept these offerings. During the Old Kingdom, false doors were very popular for those who could afford the burial process, such as priests , priestesses, and pharaohs, all of whom worked together closely and were of the upper most classes of Ancient Egypt. In the case of the false door housed by the museum, it was

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