Mummification : An Ancient Egyptian Burial Rite

Egyptians strongly believed in the afterlife. By preserving the body, they could ensure that the soul of the person would successfully transfer to the next life. They thought that without mummifying the dead, the body would rot and the soul would be obliterated. Mummifying Egypt’s people was essential because the people in those times had very short life spans. Typically only 40 years, this is why the mummification process and the statistics are so important.

The Process of Mummification The earliest ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the

Ancient Egyptian embalming was a very sacred process performed by experienced embalmers. Ancient Egyptians used to bury the deceased underground, but because of that they decayed faster in a coffin when they aren’t exposed to the hot sand of the desert. That is how they developed the process of embalming to preserve the bodies.

Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece both believed in life after death, though the process in which they follow that belief differ greatly. The Greeks believed that at the moment of death the spirit leaves the body in the form of a little gust of wind or a puff of breath. The Greeks believed in proper burial rights that were performed in three parts, and the relatives mostly women are the ones that conduct these rituals for the deceased. Much like the modern world these rituals consist of the first step; laying out the body to be dressed, the second funeral procession, and the third step was the cremation of the body. Unlike the Greeks the Egyptians developed a process in which they prepared and preserved the dead for the afterlife, known as mummification. This process is believed to have been the purpose of the Egyptians famous pyramids, believed to be the stairs that would lead the Pharaohs to their kingdom in the afterlife. Artifacts are buried in their tombs such as gold, wine, and sculptures to accompany the dead in life after death.

The tombs had two main functions. The first function was a place that provided an eternal resting place in which the body could lay protected from thieves and scavengers. The second function of the tomb was a place where cults and ritual acts could be performed to ensure eternal life (Taylor, 2001:136). The body of the person was buried along with their belongings in the tomb to ensure the individual had all the proper materials needed for the afterlife. The Egyptians usually did this because “Tombs were constructed to mirror aspects of the afterlife” (Olson, 2009). These tombs were not only a place where bodies of a deceased lay; it was also a place where rituals would take place. One ritual that was done on the bodies was the ‘Opening of the Mouth’. This was a burial ritual that “accompanied the placement of funerary goods in a tomb- and was a necessary step in the deceased’s rebirth” (Olson, 2009). One very important service that had to be done was the mummification process in which the removal of organs

Funerary customs are practises and beliefs that the Ancient Egyptians used to respect their dead, and preserve their bodies in preparation for the afterlife which was a universe that mirrored their life on Earth, where they would live with the Gods in eternal Egypt. The body of the deceased could be mummified, which was where a body is dried, packed with minerals and wrapped in linen cloths, whereas another form would be embalming which is the use of salts and spices to preserve a body and took 70 days in total. However, there were many tests and dangers on the way to the afterlife, including fire-filled lakes, poisonous snakes and executioners. Because of this, there were many ceremonies and tests to see if the deceased person was worthy of the Afterlife. Such as the opening of the mouth ceremony which was when a priest touched parts of the deceased body at a funeral in order for the

In ancient Egypt after you died your body had to be mummified to be able to

To preserve the pharaohs the Egyptian people put the corpse through a process known as mummification.

The Coffin of Iret-hor-irou fits in with the Ancient Egyptian culture for many reasons. One reason is that this work of art associates with the Egyptian’s ceremonial, burial practice. During the time of Ancient Egypt, people participated in a unique burial practice known as mummification. In mummification a body would be preserved using a solution known as natron, after the

“The Book of the Dead” is an informational passage on the advanced Egyptian burial rituals by Carol A. R. Andrews of the Department of Egyptian Antiques. The passage shows the evolution of their burial rituals and their detailed burial texts called by modern scientists “The Book of the Dead”. The Burial Rituals of ancient Egyptians helped to develop their culture and theology.

Ancient Egypt experienced an intricate set of funerary monuments that made them believe were essential for their immortality afterlife. Some of these rituals are mummifying the body, magic spells casting, and burying people with certain goods. These rituals were to be used in the afterlife. The process of burying people evolved throughout time with old customs rejected as they adopt new ones. Nevertheless, the people maintained other elements that were significant in both generations. Even though certain details were changed, the rituals were a significant element in performing a proper funeral in the region.

form of a bird usually a falcon and fly around in the world of the living

The Egyptian’s style of mummification served its original purpose to serve bodies. Mummification is a process where you preserve a body, either naturally or artificially (David). The process they used was very long winded and detailed. To complete the process it took seventy days, the only way the process could be so lengthy is because they took a lot of preemptive measures to dry out the body, so that the moisture would not naturally decay the body. “This they did by covering the body with natron, a type of salt which has great drying properties, and by placing additional natron packets inside the body” (Smithsonian)” This allows them time to go through detailed processes to insure the body is properly prepared for burial. Another way that they kept moisture out, was by removing the internal organs, besides the heart into canopic jars. After the body was dried out, a priest wrapped it in hundreds of yards of

To embalm means to treat a dead body so as to preserve it, as with chemicals, drugs, or balsams; also, to keep in memory and to cause to remain unchanged. A funeral is a ceremony which is often a time when loved ones can say their final goodbyes and talk about the good times they had with the person who has died. In Egypt, embalmment and funerals are combined to form an ancient custom that seems to blow the minds of many. Egyptians believe that the dead must be treated with great care. They also believe that the way someone lives their life determines how good their afterlife will be. Many difficult techniques were used to preserve the bodies of the dead, proving that the ancient Egyptians were actually quite intelligent. Using these

"In this occupation certain persons employ themselves regularly and inherit this as a craft." (Herodotus) Just as Herodotus recorded, mummification dates back to early 3rd millennium B.C. It may date back many years, but was not perfected till many years later to what we officially call mummification. (Dunand 27) We call it mummification and the bodies mummies because of the Persian word for bitumen, which is "mummia". The reason for this name is because of the dark skin of mummies, which people mistook for bitumen. Bitumen is a mineral formed for a tar like substance. (Becket 31) One of the main reasons to prepare the body, making it look like bitumen, was for the afterlife. After being prepared, they are still being found this day,