instrument, a sort of chisel, with which he literally opened themouth of the deceased." This was done to ensure that the deceased was ableto speak during their journeys in Duat. Another practice used by the Egyptians to aid the departed soulinvolved mass human sacrifice. Many times if a prominent person passedaway the family and servants would willfully ingest poison to continuetheir servitude in the next world. The family members and religiousfigureheads of the community did just about everything in their power toaid the deceased in the transition to a new life. The community made sure the chamber was furnished with "everythingnecessary for the comfort and well-being of the occupants." It wasbelieved that the individual would be able of accessing these items in thenext world. Some of the most important things that the deceased would needto have at his side were certain spells and incantations. A conglomerationof reading material ensured a successful passage; The Pyramid Texts, TheBook of the Dead, and the Coffin Texts all aided the lost soul in theirjourney through Duat into the Fields of the Blessed. "Besides all thesespells, charms, and magical tomb texts, the ancient practice of depositingin the tomb small wooden figures of servants was employed." These "Ushabistatuettes" as they are called, were essentially slaves of the deceased.If the deceased was called to work in the Elysian fields he would call uponone of the statues to take his place and perform the task for him. It wasnot unheard of for an individual to have a figure for every day of the yearto ensure an afterlife devoid of physical exertion. Just about every thingthe embalmers and burial practitioners did during the process was done forparticular reasons. Many of the funerary practices of the ancient Greco-Romans werealso done with a specific purpose in mind. Unlike the Egyptian's theGreco-Roman cultures did not employ elaborate tombs but fo...
