The Abydos Descriptive history 1
The Abydosian history begins in the late prehistoric age, before

Egypt

was a unified

Egypt Abydos reliefs in the temple, the god Horus and the king, Seti

civilization. The oldest tombs and structures are in the lower northern part of the site.

They consist of rulers and persons of High social status in the pre-dynastic era, the oldest seeming to date back 150 years before the first

dynasty

. Most of these tombs have been plundered and sustained damage from natural disasters. However, at least one tomb, still contains artwork and funeral accessories providing evidence that the

Egypt

ians made technological and artistic achievements centuries before the unified civilization, which created the more recognizable pyramids. The starting Dynasties: When the dynasties

of

Egypt

ian civilization were established, Abydos was still being used primarily as a grave yard . The Royal Tombs of the earliest dynasties were placed about a mile back on the Great desert plain, in a place now known as Umm el-Qa'ab. The tombs description : The tomb probably of Menes, the first pharaoh of unified

Egypt

, is 15 feet by 25 feet. Other tombs are more increased in size and complexity. The tomb-pit is surrounded by chambers to hold the offerings, the actual sepulcher being a Great wooden chamber in the midst of the brick-lined pit. Rows of small tomb-pits for the servants of the King surround the royal chamber, many dozens of such burials being usual. It was at this time, around the first

dynasty

, that private citizens began to be buried at the site in pit-tombs. By the end of the second

dynasty

the type changed to a long passage bordered with chambers on either hand, the royal burial being in the middle of the length. The greatest of these tombs with its dependencies covered a space of over 3,000 Square yards (2,500 m²). The contents of the tombs have been nearly destroyed by successive plunderers. However, enough remained to show that fine jewelry was placed on the mummies, a profusion of vases of hard and valuable stones from the royal table service stood about the body, the store-rooms were filled with Great jars of wine, perfumed ointment, and other supplies, and tablets of ivory and of ebony were engraved with a record of the yearly annals of the reigns. The Middle Dynasties: A major change in function and perspective happened when the tomb of Djer was mistaken for that of Osiris, the god of the netherworld, and the site took on the role of a holy site. Abydos became the cult center for worship of Osiris. The natural entrance to the canyon that leads to Abydos helped symbolize the belief that The Temple of Abydos was a conduit between this world and the afterlife—a place to bury the dead, practice death rites, and worship Osiris. Holy ceremonies :-

Egypt

ians made pilgrimages to the site at The Temple of Abydos where they believed Osiris to be buried. They also desired to be buried there, but if that was not possible, they set up stelae with their name and title inscribed together with their prayer to Osiris. Thousands of such stelae have been found at the site.