Spanish archaeologists found three false doors in a newly-discovered necropolis 96 kilometers south of Cairo. The faux doors were used as portals to the afterworld. The necropolis in Ihnasya el-Medina (the ancient Egyptian capital of Herakleopolis) was built more than 4,000 years ago. From National Geographic:
Such symbolic passageways were common features of most ancient Egyptian tombs "of consequence," according to Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.
The rectangular portals, which did not actually open, were meant to allow the deceased to come back from the afterworld and consume gifts placed on nearby offering tables.
"A false door is a place where you have an interaction between the living and the dead. It is really a doorway for the soul to go in and out of the afterworld," Ikram said.
"The idea is that you say 'Hi' to the deceased, and the deceased [comes] up and eats and drinks and talks to you, gets your wish, and then goes back down."
Beer and wine were among the favorite offerings, she added.
