Death and Burial in the Kingdom of Meroe

Abstract

This article presents an overview of funerary customs and their antecedents in the kingdom of Meroe (300 bce–350 ce), with a focus on elite burials. In a land exposed to gradual changes after a long period of Egyptian colonization, cultural entanglement has created new religious beliefs supported by a unique architecture and statuary, in addition to new traditions regarding mortuary rituals. Copying the royal funerals, high-ranked officials are buried with rich equipment (weaponry, vessels, jewelry, coffins, shrouds) while at the surface a pyramid or a tumulus will mark the grave and become the theater of a cult for the dead fusing with the cult of Osiris. Easily accessible from settlements, the Meroitic grave appears as a new place to intercede with the gods and maintain the influence of some families over local communities.