Wrapping Up

While thousands of these portraits have been discovered, countless others did not survive the harsh Egyptian climate, or have not yet been discovered. The cultural diversity reflected in these portraits is incredible, as well as the range of ages depicted. Death was prevalent in ancient Egyptian culture, and mummy portraits were even kept in the house with their living counterparts until needed. Suffice to say, there are still many questions about this collection of works that have yet to be answered, and it is more than likely that more questions will arise, as is the way with most courses of study in classics.