 The death of the pharaoh was accompanied by a formal
announcement, "The falcon is flown to heaven and (his
successor) is arisen in his place". It is interesting to
note the similarity with the more modern phrase, "The
King is dead, long live the king". It normally took
about three months to bury the newly deceased pharaoh in his
tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank across from
modern Luxor. This was because the embalming process was
complex, and included a period of 70 days when the dead
pharaoh's body was immersed in natron, a type of salt and a
primary ingredient to the mummification
process. After the
immersion in natron, the body was wrapped in first one layer
of bandages, on which protective amulets were laid in specific
places, and then a second layer of broader bandages. The
second layer of bandages were first soaked in resin and aromatic essential oils.
In many cases, this time was also used by the craftsman
from the Deir el-Medina village to quickly add the finishing
touches to the king's tomb. For these workers, the
King's death was, at least in the background, a rather joyous
occasion because with the coronation of a new king came a new
tomb and hence new jobs.
Documentation of the royal funerary ritual is uncommon,
though there is more evidence from the private tombs. Some of
our information also comes from the tomb of Tutankhamun. After
the mummification process of the pharaoh's body was completed,
the funeral procession began at the royal palace and moved on
to the West Bank.. The king's body was carried on a sledge
pulled by oxen, followed by a second sledge that held the
canopic chest. On the west bank, the procession would reach
the "Road where Re Sets" and would head for the
"Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Pharaoh's Millions
of Years Life Strength Health in the West of Thebes".
In a funeral tradition that remains today, crying and
screaming women would follow the royal mummy in its wooden
sarcophagus. The bald headed priests solemnly walked along
with the procession burning incense and shaking their sistrums.
Often the procession was led by the new pharaoh, and and
included the viziers of Upper and Lower Egypt, as well as
other dignitaries and family.
 Once the funeral procession reached the tomb, the coffin
was stood upright. Now the high priest, and at times
even the new pharaoh, would perform the Opening of the Mouth
ceremony.
This procedure was believed to restore the dead pharaoh's
senses, as well as his use of speech and ability to eat and
drink.
After the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, the dead king was
finally carried to the monumental stone sarcophagus deep in
the tomb's burial chamber. After he was placed in this
sarcophagus and the heavy cover carved in high relief was
affixed, family, friends and other dignitaries would attend a
funeral banquet, while workmen sealed the the tomb.
During the 18th dynasty, the entrance was sometimes hidden,
but beginning with the 19th dynasty, the tomb entrance was
always in plan view. The door was sealed using one of
two methods. Either the wax seals were placed on the
plaster of the doors themselves, or affixed on a small clay
block around the fine cord used to tie the doors of the burial
chamber. The seals usually included the figure of Anubis as a
crouched jackal.
No one was permitted to enter the royal tomb once it was
sealed. At least, theoretically. Later, we of course know that
tombs were entered for a variety of reasons. They were
entered both by tomb robbers and by priests who sought
to protect the tombs and mummies from the tomb robbers.
There were even occasional second burials in the tombs.
 But during normal times, the entire necropolis was guarded
and only the priests, guards and craftsmen working on new
tombs were allowed into the necropolis. Guards also made
rounds to the tombs, checking the royal seals.
In describing any process in ancient Egypt, one must
remember the thousands of years of Egyptian history, processes
did not remain constant over that time, and new aspects of
beliefs and rituals were constantly assimilated with older
beliefs and rituals. This must be kelp in mind at all
times, but we believe that the funeral of the 18th and 19th
dynasty kings buried in the Valley of the Kings remained
somewhat constant during that span of time.
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