Archeology, Artifacts, and Shabti Dolls Grade 7 March 9, 2022, MCAS WEDNESDAY INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION: Archeological evidence helps us learn about societies of the past. Prehistoric archaeology deals with civilizations that had not developed writing, and therefore much of what we have learned about these societies and civilizations we have learned from artifacts found in archeological discoveries. PROMPT: Read the articles, “Archeology and Artifacts,” from National Geographic, and “Shabti Dolls: The Workforce of The Afterlife,” by Joshua J. Mark In a well-developed essay, discuss the importance of archeological studies of artifacts and what we learn from the Shabti dolls about ancient Egyptians’ beliefs of the afterlife. Be sure to use evidence from both texts to support your claim. TEXT #1: Archeology and Artifacts Archaeology National Geographic Archaeology is the study of the human past using material remains. These remains can be any objects that people created, modified, or used. The word "archaeology" comes from the Greek word "arkhaios," which means "ancient." Archaeologists use artifacts and features, like buildings and roads, to learn how people lived in specific times and places. They want to know what these people's daily lives were like, how they were governed and interacted, and what they believed and valued. Sometimes, artifacts and features provide the only clues about an ancient community or civilization. Prehistoric civilizations did not leave behind written records. Archaeologists studying Stonehenge in Great Britain, for instance, do not have ancient manuscripts to tell them why it was built or how it was used. Archaeologists must rely on the enormous stones themselves for clues. Brief History of Archaeology People have dug up monuments and collected artifacts for thousands of years. Often, these people were not scholars, but looters and grave robbers looking to make money or build up their personal collections. For instance, grave robbers have been plundering the tombs of Egypt since the pyramids were built. Eventually, archaeology evolved from treasure hunting into a more scientific field. Scientists started using standard weights and measures for recording and removing artifacts. They required detailed drawings and drafts of the entire dig site, as well as individual pieces. In the 20th century, archaeologists began to reassess their impact on the cultures and environments where they dig. Today, in most countries, archaeological remains become the property of the country where they were found. Disciplines of Archaeology/ Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology Archaeology is based on the scientific method. Archaeologists ask questions and develop hypotheses and use evidence to choose a dig site and where on the site to dig. They observe, record, categorize, and interpret what they find and then share their results with other scientists and the public. There are two major areas of archaeology — prehistoric archaeology and historic archaeology. Prehistoric archaeology deals with civilizations that did not develop writing. Artifacts from these societies may provide the only clues we have about their lives. Archaeologists studying the Clovis people, for instance, have found only arrowheads — called projectile points — and stone tools. The arrowheads were first discovered in Clovis, New Mexico. Archaeologists have dated these Clovis points to 13,000 years ago. This places the Clovis people among the earliest inhabitants of North America. Uncovered Artifacts As artifacts are uncovered, the archaeological team records every step of the process through photos, drawings, and notes. Once the artifacts have been completely removed, they are cleaned, labeled and classified. Particularly fragile or damaged artifacts are sent to a conservator, who have special training in preserving and restoring artifacts. Then the artifacts are sent to a lab for analysis, usually the most time-consuming part of archaeology. When did people develop tools, and how did they use them? What did they use to make clothing and what did their clothing styles mean? What did they eat? Did they live in large groups or smaller family units? Did they trade with people from other regions? Were they warlike or peaceful? What were their religious practices? Archaeologists ask all of these questions and more. The scientists write up their findings and publish them in scientific journals. Other scientists can look at the data and argue over the interpretations, which helps us get the most accurate story. The public also learns what scientists are discovering about our history. Artifacts National Geographic Artifacts include tools, clothing, and decorations made by people. They provide essential clues for researchers studying ancient cultures. An artifact is an object made by a human being. Artifacts include art, tools, and clothing made by people of any time and place. The term can also be used to refer to the remains of an object, such as a shard of broken pottery or glassware. Artifacts are immensely useful to scholars who want to learn about a culture. Archaeologists excavate areas in which ancient cultures lived and use the artifacts found there to learn about the past. Many ancient cultures did not have a written language or did not actively record their history, so artifacts sometimes provide the only clues about how the people lived. Artifacts have provided essential clues about life in ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife and buried the dead with things they would need in order to live on in the afterlife. As a result, the tombs of ancient Egypt provide a wealth of artifacts that give insight into the culture. The tomb of King Tut is perhaps the most famous. In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter came upon the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen, more commonly known as King Tut. King Tut’s tomb had been undisturbed since he was buried around 1323 B.C.E. Murals on the wall of the tomb told of King Tut’s funeral and journey to the afterworld. The tomb also included more than 5,000 artifacts, including perfumes and oils, jewelry, statues, and even toys from Tut’s childhood. Carter led a team of archaeologists in cataloging the items from King Tut’s tomb. This work took the archaeologists over a decade, but the artifacts continue to help historians better understand life in Egypt during the era of King Tut. TEXT #2: Shabti Dolls the Workforce of the Afterlife by Joshua J. Mark published on 18 January 2012 Shabti Dolls Shabti koopmanrob (CC BY-SA) Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (Copyright) The Egyptians believed the afterlife was a mirror-image of life on earth. When a person died their individual journey did not end but was merely translated from the earthly plane to the eternal. The soul stood in judgement in the Hall of Truth before the great god Osiris and the Forty-Two Judges and, in the weighing of the heart, if one's life on earth was found worthy, that soul passed on to the paradise of the Field of Reeds. The soul was rowed with others who had also been justified across Lily Lake (also known as The Lake of Flowers) to a land where one regained all which had been thought lost. There one would find one's home, just as one had left it, and any loved ones who had passed on earlier. Every detail one enjoyed during one's earthly travel, right down to one's favorite tree or most loved pet, would greet the soul upon arrival. Work in the Afterlife In keeping with this concept of the mirror-image, there was also work in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians were very industrious and one's work was highly valued by the community. People, naturally, held jobs to support themselves and their family but also worked for the community. Community service was compulsory in `giving back' to the society which provided one with everything. The religious and cultural value of ma'at (harmony) dictated that one should think of others as highly as one's self and everyone should contribute to the benefit of the whole. The great building projects of the kings, such as the pyramids, were constructed by skilled craftsmen, not slaves, who were either paid for their skills or volunteered their time for the greater good. If, whether from sickness, personal obligation or simply lack of desire to comply, one could not fulfill this obligation, one could send someone else to work in one's place - but could only do so once. On earth, one's place was filled by a friend, relative, or a person one paid to take one's place; in the afterlife, however, one's place was taken by a shabti doll. The Function of the Shabti Shabti dolls (also known as shawbti and ushabti) were funerary figures in ancient Egypt who accompanied the deceased to the afterlife. Their name is derived from the Egyptian word for stick but also corresponds to the word for `answer' and so the shabtis were known as `The Answerers'. The figures, shaped as adult male or female mummies, appear in tombs early on (where they represented the deceased) and, by the time of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE) were made of stone or wood (in the Late Period they were composed of faience) and represented an anonymous `worker'. Citizens were obligated to devote part of their time each year to labor for the state on the many public works projects the pharaoh had decreed according to their particular skill and a shabti would reflect that skill or, if it was a general `worker doll', a skill considered important. As the Egyptians considered the afterlife a continuation of one's earthly existence it was thought that the god of the dead, Osiris, would have his own public works projects underway and the purpose of the shabti, then, was to `answer' for the deceased when called upon for work. Their function is made clear in the Egyptian Book of the Dead (also known as The Book of Coming Forth By Day) which is a kind of manual (dated to c. 1550-1070 BCE) for the deceased providing guidance in the unfamiliar realm of the afterlife. The Book of the Dead contains spells which are to be spoken by the soul at different times and for different purposes in the afterlife. Among these verses is Spell Six which is known as "Spell for causing a shabti to do work for a man in the realm of the dead". When the soul was called upon in the afterlife to labor for Osiris, it would recite this spell and the shabti would come to life and perform one's duty as a replacement. The Evolution & Importance of Shabti Dolls Every shabti doll was hand-carved to express the task the shabti formula described and so there were dolls with baskets in their hands or hoes or mattocks, chisels, depending on what job was to be done. The dolls were purchased from temple workshops and the more shabti dolls one could afford corresponded to one's personal wealth. In modern times, therefore, the number of dolls found in excavated tombs has helped archaeologists determine the status of the tomb's owner. The poorest of tombs contain no shabtis but even those of modest size contain one or two and there have been tombs containing a shabti for every day of the year. Equality in Death Shabti dolls are the most numerous types of artifacts to survive from ancient Egypt (besides scarabs). As noted, they werke found in the tombs of people from all classes of society, poorest to most wealthy and commoner to king. The shabti dolls from Tutankamun's tomb were intricately carved and wonderfully ornate while a shabti from the grave of a poor farmer was much simpler. It did not matter whether one had ruled over all of Egypt or tilled a small plot of land, however, as everyone was equal in death; or almost so. The king and the farmer were both equally answerable to Osiris but the amount of time and effort they were responsible for was dictated by how many shabtis they had been able to afford before their death. In the same way that the people had served the ruler of Egypt in their lives, the souls were expected to serve Osiris, Lord of the Dead, in the afterlife. This would not necessarily mean that a king would do the work of a mason, but royalty was expected to serve in their best capacity just as they had been on earth. The more shabti dolls one had at one's disposal, however, the more leisure time one could expect to enjoy in the Field of Reeds. This meant that, if one had been wealthy enough on earth to afford a small army of shabti dolls, one could look forward to quite a comfortable afterlife; and so one's earthly status was reflected in the eternal order in keeping with the Egyptian concept of the afterlife as a direct reflection of one's time on earth.
