ABSTRACT
The belief that humans are more than material bodies extends well beyond the twilight of recorded history. In palaeolithic graves one finds not only tokens of respect for the dead but also provisions for an afterlife. Quarters of venison, shellfish, flint instruments and funeral furniture imply a belief that the dead have needs and means for satisfying them similar to our own (Luquet, 1996). Egyptian mythology is specific. The land of the dead lies in the West, at the entrance to the desert. There, in the kingdom of Osiris the hearts of departed souls are weighed in judgement. Those found to be pure may dwell in happiness for ever in the kingdom. Hearts of the guilty are devoured by Amemait, part lion, part hippopotamus, part crocodile.
