© The Walters Art Museum
Social Studies
THE MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH
[ THE MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH ]
ACTIVITY GUIDE
Many of the works of art that survive from the ancient
world are related to how ancient people viewed
death. The Gilded Mummy Mask with Glass Inlays,
Model of Rowing Boat, Funerary Stele with Relief of
Tembu, Sarcophagus with Triumph of Dionysus and
quite likely the Attic Red-figure Amphora were all
preserved in part because they were safe inside
tombs, away from the natural elements and the stress
of everyday use.
In this activity you’ll study how ancient peoples’
beliefs and practices about death and the afterlife can
be reflections of how they lived their lives. Then you’ll
write about what our practices and rituals regarding
death mean and how they relate to our lives.
After completing this assignment you will
be able to:
1. Explain how works of art reflect the values and
beliefs of the cultures in which they were created.
Gilded Mummy Mask with Glass Inlays
Egyptian, late 1st century B.C. – 1st century A.D.
Cartonnage, gold leaf and glass
© The Walters Art Museum
2. Demonstrate your understanding of how a society’s
customs surrounding death can also reflect how
that society understands life.
3. Communicate your understanding about how your
personal traditions surrounding death impact your
life.
The Gilded Mummy Mask with Glass Inlays, Model of
Rowing Boat, and Funerary Stele with Relief of Tembu
are all examples of how much emphasis ancient
Egyptians placed on preparing for an eternal life after
death. Most Egyptians died before the age of 30, and
a part of their adult life was spent preparing for
themselves and their families to transition to the
afterlife. Even if not all Egyptians could afford a
well-equipped tomb and all the precious items to
secure a successful afterlife, their time may well have
been spent creating objects for tombs of people who
could afford it. Nevertheless, poor people also
received a decent burial and a few items to support
their renewal into the afterlife.
Model of Rowing Boat
Egyptian, Middle Kingdom
11-12th Dynasty, 2040-1783 B.C.
Wood
© The Walters Art Museum
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[ THE MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH ]
When important Romans died, the body was washed,
covered with oil, and then displayed so that visitors
could pay their last respects. On the day of the funeral, the body was carried in a procession to a forum
where a speech was made in praise of the deceased.
The body was then either buried or cremated. As it
was against the law to bury a person’s body or ashes
inside the city, Roman tombs were always built
outside the city walls. The Sarcophagus with Triumph
of Dionysus was found above ground in a chamber
tomb, which was quite common.
In ancient Greece, funerary customs called for laying
out the body of the deceased for display, transporting
it to a graveyard for burial, and conducting a
ceremony at the gravesite. When the body was
buried, terracotta vessels like the Attic Red-figure
Amphora were placed in the tomb next to the corpse
or next to the urn of ashes if the body had been
cremated. Other gifts such as terracotta figurines,
weapons and tools for men, jewelry for women,
and toys for children were often added. A funerary
banquet, first at the gravesite and later in the house
of the nearest kin, was often accompanied by animal
sacrifice.
Detail of Sarcophagus
Sarcophagus with Triumph of Dionysus
Roman, later 2nd century AD
Marble
© The Walters Art Museum
ACTIVITY
1 Read all the material related to the Gilded Mummy
Mask with Glass Inlays, Model of Rowing Boat,
Funerary Stele with Relief of Tembu, Sarcophagus
with Triumph of Dionysus and the Attic Red-figure
Amphora in the ancient section of Integrating the
Arts: Mummies, Manuscripts and Madonnas. Take
notes regarding how each object was used in
connection with death by the culture in which it
was created.
2 Based on what you know about the Egyptian
objects, imagine how the daily life of Egyptians
was shaped by their belief in an afterlife. How
important do you think it was it to prepare for the
afterlife? How much time and resources do you
think were spent on preparations for the afterlife?
Is there any evidence that people's behavior in life
Attic Red-figure Amphora (front)
Greek, Niobid Painter
c. 460-450 B.C.
Clay
© The Walters Art Museum
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[ THE MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH ]
affected their ability to have a good afterlife? For
example if people behaved poorly, cheating and
stealing while they were alive, did Egyptians
believe these people would be punished in the
afterlife?
3 Based on what you know about the Sarcophagus
with Triumph of Dionysus, imagine how the daily
life of Romans was shaped by their belief in an
afterlife. How important do you think it was to
prepare for the afterlife? How much time and
resources do you think were spent on preparations
for the afterlife? Is there any evidence that
people's behavior in life affected their ability to
have a good afterlife?
4 Based on what you know about the Attic Red-
figure Amphora, imagine how Greek daily life was
shaped by a belief in an afterlife. How important
do you think it was to prepare for the afterlife?
How much time and resources do you think were
spent on preparations for the afterlife? Is there
any evidence that people's behavior in life affected their ability to have a good afterlife?
5 Write an essay about how funerary practices in
your culture or religion impact the kind of life
people lead. Include evidence for the opinions you
form and the judgments you make. Include any
personal experiences you may have had with
funerals. Imagine what people in the future will
conclude after examining objects related to the
current funeral practices you write about.
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