Mummification Research Paper

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

The process begins where the body is taken into an “ibu”, a tent also known as the “place of purification”. That is where the embalmers wash the body in palm wine and rinse it off with water from the Nile. The next step is when one of the men makes a small cut in the left side of the body and removes the liver, lungs, stomach and also intestines. It is important to remove these internal organs because they are one of the fastest to decompose. These internal organs are then washed and packed in natron, a mineral salt that contains hydrated sodium carbonate. The natron will dry out the organs. The heart is not taken out because Egyptians believed that the heart was the center of intelligence and feeling and the body will need it in the afterlife.

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

Ancient Egyptians were very religious people with various beliefs and gods. Ancient Egypt consisted of the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. Not only is Ancient Egypt known for their outstanding architecture in pyramids, but also, their astonishing understanding of the human body. Mummification began around c.3500 BCE and by the Old Kingdom it had become a standard practice. Everything Egyptians did, including mummification had to do with their religious beliefs. They followed rituals to please the gods and therefore received something in exchange. Moreover, they believed that mummifying a body was preparing a person for their afterlife. The process of mummification changed depending on the person’s socioeconomic status. Ancient Egypt was a period based strongly on religion and the belief of rebirth after death that led to mummification.

The mummification process is done in two phases, the first being embalming and the latter being wrapping and burial. There was a special place for embalming to take place known as the ibu. The ibu was called the place of purification. The first thing the embalmers do is to clean his body with aromatic palm wine and rinse it with Nile water. The next step involves removing all but a select few of the internal organs. The process used to remove the internal organs changed over time and varied with the wealth of the body in question. The heart was left in the body because of its necessity as the focal point of mental and emotional stability. The body’s fluids and rags used in this phase are left with the body for its burial. The body is left for a period of

Mummification was created by the Egyptians to dry out and prepare the body for preservation. It took years to perfect

Egyptians buried the dead in the ground and where there are little air and lots of heat and sand which dehydrated the bodies, resulting in the mummified body. During this process of natural decaying, the odor of this would smell and attract animals who would then eat the already decaying body. To prevent this, they created coffins, or boxes, to put the bodies in. Not only did they create coffins, but they also created tombs which they filled with items for the person to use when they reach the afterlife. However, they realized that these bodies were decaying as well. To preserve the bodies for the afterlife, the Egyptians created a process which included embalming, and wrapping the body in linens. This is known today as mummification.

They mummify their bodies because they believed their souls will just walk right out and they wanted them to come back into their life.

At the typical egyptian funeral men and women would plaster themselves with mud and dance around the town, and beating themselves. Mummification was a common Egyptian death ceremony after the funeral. When a person died a priest mummified the body, to do this he would remove the organs and put them in canopic jars, put natron salt to dry out the body, and wrap it in a linen cloth.

After the soft body parts were removed one of the embalmers would make an incision in the left side above the abdomen. Although this was needed to remove the organs, the Egyptians didn’t like to do this incision because they thought that it was sinful to damage a corpse. By making this incision they took out the stomach, intestines, liver, and lungs. After they were taken out the embalmers would then preserve it by drying them in a natural salt called natron which is now called baking soda. In the Old Kingdom after they were dried, the embalmers would put the organs in a four-chambered box made of wood, clay, or stone.This box was stored in the mummy’s tomb. Then in the Middle Kingdom, the embalmers put each organ in a separate container called a canopic jar. The stoppers of the jars were carved o look like the face of the dead person. Then in the New Kingdom, the stoppers of the canopic jars were carved to look like the heads of the four sons of the god Horus.Then later on the canopic jars were placed in the four chambered chest. By 1000 BC, the preserved organs were wrapped in linen and placed back in the mummy’s body. The empty

It will always surprise me how the Egyptian did the mummification. It is just amazing how they knew so much about the body that they invented a method to keep the body intact for so many years. They made it so perfectly that almost 3000 to 4000 years ago we still find mummies in perfect condition. However, it is remarkable how they had different types of mummification. Even though you would think that is a religious process because it was in their believes, they would have different prices. Between the three levels, the most amazing one is the “Royal Treatment”. It is surprising how they had utensils to do every process in that time. They had an utensil to take the brain out. In Addition, they would clean out their whole belly and they would

To start the mummification process the body of the deceased would first be taken to the place of purification to be cleansed. The body is initially washed with palm wine, and then rinsed with water of the Nile river. One of the embalmers would then make an incision into the deceased’s left side and remove most of the internal organs to prevent them from decomposing. These organs are then packed in natron salt in order to dry them out and keep them preserved.

The earliest practices of mummification began in Egypt around 3,500 B.C.E. The Egyptians would bury their dead in small pits in the desert. The heat and the dryness of the desert naturally mummified the dead bodies, but wild animals would keep eating the bodies. So, the Egyptians began putting the dead bodies in coffins and tombs to protect the bodies. This idea worked as the wild animals could no longer eat the dead bodies, however instead of being preserved the bodies rotted away. The Egyptians continued and developed the practice for years until they found the mummification process we know today.

Did you know that there are many ways to mummify something, and sometimes thing mummify themselves. Many people believe that mummies are only in egypt but mummified humans and animals have been found all over the world. Places like egypt have been mummifying the dead for many years, “Egyptologists once thought that the practice of formally mummifying the dead began about 4,500 years ago during the reign of Khufu, who built the largest of the pyramids at Giza.” The process of mummification would take 70 days to complete. In some places they would take out the organs and sometimes chop of the heads, of the dead. Although, they would leave the heart; this was a spiritual type ordeal. Because it was considered the soul, after the removal of organs

Mummifying was a very long process, they were wrapped completely with a type of paper and their head was covered with a very heavy mask made of gold, silver, rubies...