Abstract. By browsing the funerary literature devoted to ancient Egypt and black Africa, we realize that the ancient Egyptians and the contemporary Black Africans did not perceive death as a definitive end. Indeed, in Egyptian-African eschatology, after death, the dead continue to live in the world of ancestors and divinities. In order for him to continue this new life, he must first be well prepared. Thus, in ancient Egypt as in contemporary black Africa, funeral rites are organized after the announcement of death and throughout the mourning period. There are several funeral rites but, in the context of this study, we focus on mummification.