An Analytical Study of Breaking Red Pots Scenes in Private Tombs

The Ancient Egyptians firmly believed in the afterlife and immortality, and this was an important aspect of their belief system. So, they tried to preserve their bodies by performing magical funeral ceremonies. The ritual of breaking red pots “sD-dSrwt” is considered one of these magical funeral rituals. The current study focuses on the New Kingdom representations of breaking red jars in the private funerary architecture. The study deals with thirty scenes from Memphite and Theban necropolis. The first table represents high level information of the scenes followed by an analytical study of the component features of the scenes; such as kiosks, jars, participants and person breaking the jars. The scenes represented three main shapes of kiosks (each of them is divided into two types), (1) kiosks of light construction, (2) kiosks of solid construction, and (3) unroofed kiosks.  In addition, the research discusses the position of these kiosks within the scenes. These ritual jars consisted of seven shapes; the colors and numbers of the jars have also been studied. Additionally, the study deals with the characteristics of the person breaking the jars and the participants. Finally, it ends by a conclusion that reiterates the most important results of the current study.