Egyptian

Because of their intense preoccupation with the afterlife, mummification became part of the burial practices of the Egyptians and continued for thousands of years. Egyptians saw death as an extension of life and prepared for it with great thoroughness. At first only the nobility could afford the preparations for death, but by 2250 B.C. Any man or woman who could afford a proper tomb made every effort and spared no expense to furnish it with the many things essential for the afterlife. Egyptian tombs have revealed many extraordinary artifacts which otherwise would have been destroyed.
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