Timeline: Afterlife in the New Kingdom
In the Middle Kingdom, funerary art began to grow more popular, and the New Kingdom built on that. The New Kingdom began in approximately 1550 B.C. with the 18th Dynasty ruled by the Theban king Ahmose I. A line of warrior kings proceded, with Thutmose III being one of the greatest. Eventually, Egypt gains control of Nubia, driving Egypt into one of the most wealthy periods in history.
After 1500 B.C., monuments like pyramids became less common, and the Valley of the Kings became the designated spot for a pharaoh's tomb. The tombs were constructed of underground passageways with many rooms. Within these tombs were hundreds of objects buried with the king to guide him into the afterlife. Without these, he could not continue. Some examples of these objects include weapons, food, royal pets, boats or chariots, and of course, the sacred scriptures on the walls of the tomb.
An example would be the Book of Hidden Chambers, accompanined by images of the king with the funerary deities and the goddess of life symbolizing life into the next world. The Egyptians believed that the underworld was a dangerous place where directions are confused, people walk on their heads, and the great serpent Apophis tries to destroy the world. Without these funerary texts and objects, the king too would be destroyed by Apophis, or get lost in the neverending passageways of the underworld.
Citations:
Robins, Gay. The Art of Ancient Egypt. The British Museum Press, 2008.
“The Valley of the Kings.” The Valley Of The Kings, www.ancient-egypt-online.com/valley-of-the-kings.html.
“Egypt, 2000–1000 B.C.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=03®ion=afe (October 2000)
Greenberg, Isabel and Imogen. “Top 10 Things You Might Find in a Pharaoh's Tomb – in Pictures.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 May 2016, www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2016/may/01/pharoahs-tomb-ancient-egypt.