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Mummies In Ancient Egypt

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What is wrapped in lined and put in a coffin forever? Ghastly faces, dried in salt- why would Ancient Egyptians go to all that trouble for a corpse that no one will ever see again? Mummies are fascinating, and they have been around for over 5000 years. Ancient Egypt is an ancient civilization in the deserts of Africa. Ancient Mummies are fascinating due to why Egyptians mummify, how they mummify, and the burial process.

Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead for special reasons. Egyptians had a wish, the wish to live forever. They believed that after they died a new life began. Egyptians believed that everyone had a ba, and a ka. A ba is a soul, and a ka is a invisible twin of the person. Egyptians believed that when a person died, his/her …show more content…

Going into further detail, first small bunches of natron encased in linen were stuffed in the body. The corpse's brain was removed and most likely thrown away. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the brain was the least important organ in the body. After 40 days passed by, the natron packs were removed. The dried, withered body was then swabbed clean and caressed with oils, spices, and resin. They eye sockets were corked with linen and closed. The nostrils were packed with beeswax. Then the arms were crossed, and the fingernails and toenails were hidden in caps of gold. The embalming cut, (the cut where the inner organs were taken out) was then stitched together. The mummy was decorated with jewels, gold, and precious stones like the Eye of Horus. Then the body was deliberately bound with long, narrow bands of linen. The fingers, toes, and legs were all wrapped individually. Linen shrouds were arranged between the layers of binding. Every few layers of linen were glued together with resin. After twenty layers of binding and linen shrouds, the mummy’s body returned it it's normal size. Magic amulets were then inserted in between the mummy’s wrappings, along with small, mummy-shaped figures called shabtis, which held farm tools. The wrapped head was shrouded with a portrait mask, that way if anything happened to the mummy the ba and the ka could still recognize it. Then the mask, too, was bound. Lastly, the whole package was wrapped in a shroud and accustomed a last coat of

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