ABSTRACT
People know from many textual sources that children were highly valued in ancient Egypt. In archaeological contexts across the world, children are often found interred in a manner dissimilar to adults. The greater number of amulets in children’s graves as compared to those of adults perhaps reflected the view that children were in need of additional protection in death as they were in life. Children of all ages were found interred alongside adults in many of the shafts, wrapped in mats or linen, but without coffins. Very few non-elite inhumation burials can be attributed to the Second Intermediate Period. A large number of New Kingdom child burials derive from non-elite cemetery contexts and many were excavated at Gurob in the Fayum region. A large Third Intermediate Period cemetery at Matmar in Middle Egypt was excavated by Brunton between 1929 and 1931.
