This is an example of what an individual student’s project should look like. What this includes: An example of the explanation for a topic done by the individual student. His topic is: What are funerary boats and what was the purpose of them in Egypt. The three primary source details showing examples of Funerary Boats with an accurate idea of what your World History teacher means by “background.”

Egyptian Funerary Boats Johnny Cash, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine 5th Period Honors World History

Topic #1- (Johnny) What is a funerary boat? A funerary boat in most cases is an actual boat that the Egyptians believed would help carry a soul to the afterlife. Sometimes actual large boats were buried with the person, but they have also found small models that represent larger boats in tombs. On average, uncovered boats averaged about 20 feet in length. The pharaoh Khufu was buried with a funerary boat that measured 144 feet in length with 12 oars to power it. All funerary boats, including models were made of wood imported from outside of Egypt.

Khufu’s Funerary Boat on display in a museum (Johnny)

Topic 1- (Johnny) What was the purpose of it in Egypt? There are many different theories about why funerary boats were used. However, the main theory is that they symbolically carried the pharaoh’s soul to the afterlife. In other words, they didn’t actually “ride” on the boat, it was a symbol of the journey. Other archaeologists believe that it was used to by the dead Pharaoh to cross the sky with the sun god Ra. Archaeologists believed at first that they were only used by pharaohs, but other discoveries of small boats by basic tombs could lead one to believe that they were used by all Egyptian classes. The main theory behind why they used the boats is: According to Egyptian beliefs, the soul of the dead accompanied the sun on its eternal journey in the Upper Waters (the heavens) around the world. A boat or at least a model of a boat was therefore included in every tomb.

What was the purpose of it?, continued (Johnny) General look: The mast was bipod. A lookout was placed in the stern, slave rowers rowed to the beat of a drummer and the pilot steered with the double rudder. The place of the dead was under the canopy. The form of the boat is very similar to that of the reed boats. Both the stern and the bow were decorated with lotus flowers. Bipod means that it had two poles that met at a point. Lotus flowers: In Egypt the Lotus flower represents the sun and rebirth.

Picture of the second pit being excavated in 2011. (Johnny)

Primary Source Picture #1- Johnny http://www.mylearning.org/ancient-egyptian-funerary-boat/images/1-3724/ This wooden Funerary Boat model from 1990 BC came from the coffin of a courtier to the Pharoah. Model funerary boats were placed in the Middle Kingdom Egyptian graves to transport the deceased in the afterlife. The model has four pairs of oarsmen (missing their oars) and a single figure in the stern holding a steering oar.  *A courtier is a person who is part of the kings “court.” In other words, he works for the king.

Primary Source #2- Johnny Ancient Egyptian model of a funerary boat. Middle Kingdom (2040 - 1640 BCE).  The boat carries the mummy of the deceased under the canopy. On top of the canopy sits a dog representing Anubis, the patron of embalming, who was often seen leading the dead to the afterlife. During the Middle Kingdom period, boat models were commonly placed in tombs to provide a means of transportation to the underworld. http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Ancient-Egyptian-model-funerary-boat/

Primary Source #3- Johnny This is a funerary boat currently on display at the Met Museum. Funeral Boat Setting out under Sail Period: Middle Kingdom ca. 1981–1975 B.C. This is a great example of a smaller model of a funerary boat that would have been put in a tomb to represent the larger boat. http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/577298