Speaking to the Dead

The ancient Egyptians communicated with their dead relatives through letters, some of which still survive.

Menna fishing (right) and fowling (left) in the papyrus marshes (2009-03) by Katy DoyleAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)

The concept that life continued after death was central to the ancient Egyptian belief system. In the afterlife, the dead could enjoy food, drinks, and leisure activities. It was also believed they could  influence the world of the living. 

Deceased receiving offerings from their son (2009-03) by Katy DoyleAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)

One way the living could communicate with the dead was writing letters. Known as "Letters to the Dead" these texts ask for protection or support and were often presented at the tomb along with food offerings to deceased relatives or ancestors.

Jar Stand Inscribed with Hieratic Letter to the Dead (First Intermediate Period, Dynasty 11, 2199-1976 BC) by UnknownInstitute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum

Asking for Protection

There are only a few surviving examples, but the letters are deeply personal. On this jar stand, the writer asks his father and grandmother for a healthy son. It seems the wife is ailed by some affliction, apparently the design of the two maid-servants.

Djehuty and his Mother Receiving Offerings, Tomb of Djehuty (ca. 1427–1400 B.C.) by Norman de Garis DaviesThe Metropolitan Museum of Art

Between the Living and the Dead

The letters describe a two-way relationship with expectations for both the living and the dead. On a bowl, a mother inscribed a letter to the dead asking her son, Mereri, for protection. 

A mother speaks to her son, Mereri

The widow Dedi writes to her Husband

At times, the letters include some harsh words. In this letter, a widow writes to her dead husband, Antef, about a maid-servant who has fallen ill. She reprimands Antef for not looking after the maid and letting the household fall into disrepair.

Qau Bowl with Letter to the Dead (-2100/-2050)American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)

Settling Disputes

Sometimes matters between the living and dead get complicated. The interior text on this bowl explains that Shepsi is having a property dispute with Henu. Shepsi writes to asks his parents, along with his deceased brother, Sobekhotep, to make a judgment on the matter. 

Shepsi writes to his mother

Funerary cloth of IsetnefretBritish Museum

The letters to the dead provide an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of ancient Egyptian people, their struggles, frustrations, and longing for their loved ones who were dead, but not gone.

Credits: Story

Story by Tessa Litecky


This story was created in association with a museum exhibition and academic conference titled Exalted Spirits: The Veneration of the Dead in Egypt through the Ages, jointly organized by The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), The American University in Cairo (AUC), and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) in Egypt. 

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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