19. Describe the city of the dead. What is it?

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The city of the dead in Memphis, also called the “pyramid city”, is an area filled with hundreds of chapels, pyramids, and tombs where nobles are placed so that their souls will be safe and prepared for the afterlife. The city of the dead is very old during the time period of this story, and is believed to have been founded by the first king of Memphis. Kysen describes the structures in the city of the dead to be worn and crumbling, and explains that the tombs are “clustered in rows, rectangular with sloped sides, plain but once filled with riches.” Ritual in Egypt at this time consists of placing prized possessions and food needed in the afterlife alongside the Pharaohs or nobles buried in the tombs.

Sources: Robinson, Lynda S. Eater of Souls. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1997.

http://archive.archaeology.org/0605/abstracts/saqqara.html

Image: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/city.htm

Anna Paradise