Mummification in Ancient Egypt

The Burial Rites, Prepare the
person to the afterlife

The mold of mummification, the form of embalming practiced by the ancient Egyptians, changed over time from the Old Kingdom (2750-2250 B.C.), when it was available only to kings, to the New Kingdom (1539-1070 B.C.), when it was available to each one. The close of mummification turned on what one could open. The most fully broken form enclosed four basic steps:

1. Whole of the internal organs, exclude the heart, were taken. Since the organs were the first parts of the body to decompose but were necessary in the afterlife, they were mummified and put in canopic jars that were placed in the tomb at the time of burial. The heart was considered to be the seat of word and emotion and was, thus, left in the body. The brain, on the other hand, was regarded as having no important value and, start in the New Kingdom, was removed through the nose and discarded.

Three Thousand Years Old,
this mummified head of
Ramses II

2. The body was packed and extended with natron, a salty drying agent, and left to dry for forty to fifty days. By this time all the body's clear had been absorbed and just the hair, skin, and bones were leftover.

3. The body cavity was stuffed with rosin, sawdust, or linen and worked to restore the deceased's form and features.

4. The body was then tightly wrapped in many layers of linen with numerous amulets wrapped between the layers. The most serious amulet was the scarab beetle, which was set over the heart. Jewelry was also set among the bandages. At each stage of wrap, a priest recited spells and prayers. This whole procedure could take as long as fifteen days. After the wrapping was through, the body was put into a shroud. The entire mummification shape took about 70 days.

Related Posts:

• Preparing for Afterlife
• The Burial Rites in Ancient Egypt