For ancient Egyptians, burial was a ritual where the dead left the land of the living and entered the afterlife. Before the burial, the body had to be prepared. Not everyone could afford the same service.

Question

All ancient Egyptians had some type of funeral ceremony to make the transition to the world of the dead. People with little money gave their used clothing as payment to the embalmer (the person preserving the mummy). A family with more money could have more work done. The body would be kept for 70 days in a chemical to preserve it. For a middle-class family, the embalmer might inject the body with oil of cedar or other perfumes. The wealthy had a more complex mummification process that included careful work on the brain and organs. When the bodies were dried and wrapped, they were given to their families in wooden coffins.

Read the passage carefully to determine its central idea and supporting evidence. Then choose the phrase that best completes each sentence.

The central idea is that ancient Egyptians

Answer 1

The central idea is that ancient Egyptians had diverse burial practices that varied based on social and economic status, impacting the mummification process and funeral ceremonies.

Supporting evidence for this includes the mention that people with little money used used clothing to pay for embalming services, while those with more wealth had access to more elaborate mummification processes, including the use of perfumes and more extensive care for the body. Additionally, the mention of wooden coffins illustrates the different levels of expenditure related to funerals in ancient Egyptian society.