Ptolemaic Egypt and the Falcon of Horus.
The ancient Egyptian society is often referred to as one of the greatest civilizations to have influenced the world. Not only is their stretch of continuous success over time impressive, but the art and technological achievements of the peoples is still esteemed and admired today. In order to create such insightful masterpieces, the Egyptians possessed a high appreciation towards the goodness of their present life, and, indeed, they were so pleased with life on earth that they modeled their afterlife after it. This preoccupation with the afterlife and immortality is evident through the emphasis placed on tombs and the embalming preservation of their citizens. Even throughout much political turmoil during the second century B.C., the country held on strongly to its beliefs on death and the eternal soul. The gods of the ancients provided a source of faith which lasted throughout the 3000 years of the empire. The Egyptian religion consisted of a number of human and animal deities, which can be reflected through the art, and through the burial remains in tombs which were designed to accommodate the deceased for their journey through the afterlife. These gods came to represent the ideals and the aspirations of the peoples who made up this great civilization. Animal deities became a source of ceremonial kingships, and were as revered as their human figured counterparts. The mummification of the falcon of Horus from the Ptolemaic period of Abydos around the second century B.C. links the lifestyles of the people with their concerned for the afterlife. The importance of such a tradition can be understood through the characteristics of the culture during the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Archaeologists have devoted much time and resources to the reconstruction of Egyptian pre-history and dynastic periods. The Ptolemaic period (332-330 B.C.) is characterized by the offset of the Greek conquest by Alexander the Great, and the founding of Alexandria on the Meditteranean.