Mummies of humans and animals have been found throughout the world. The most well known culture for preserving the dead with mummification were the ancient Egyptians. Although mummification existed before the Egyptians with mummies from northern Chile, the Egyptians were focused on the prospect of eternal life, which meant preserving the body for life. The earliest process of mummification took place as early as 3000 BC. Special priests worked as embalmers, caring for and wrapping the body. Beyond knowing the correct rituals and prayers to be performed at various stages, the priests also needed a detailed knowledge of human anatomy. The first step in the process was to remove all internal parts that might decay quickly. The brain was removed by carefully inserting special hooked instruments up through the nostrils in order to pull out bits of brain tissue. It was a hard job, one which a wrong move could easily disfigure the face. The priest then removed the organs of the gut and chest through a cut usually made on the left side of the abdomen, (except the heart) and stored in canopic jars. The skulls of the dead would then be filled with a thick plant-paste. It wasn't until the Middle Kingdom(2050 BC and 1652 BC) that the process began to take on a more advanced form. After removing organs and the brain ,the caretakers would use natural salts to remove moisture from the bodies of the dead, drying out flesh and bone.The emptied bodies were then covered in salt to
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
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
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
In ancient Egypt after you died your body had to be mummified to be able to
Mummification required four keys steps. The preparer would remove the internal organs, dehydrate the body by using natron or salt, stuff the body with material to reshape the body into its previous form, and wrap the body with clothe. During this process, the preparer would remove the heart, liver, stomach, and intestines and put them into canopic jars. The Egyptians felt like they were important especially the heart because it was thought that the heart was used for intelligence and would be weighed by Osiris for entrance into the afterlife. The organs were replaced with spices and
To preserve the pharaohs the Egyptian people put the corpse through a process known as mummification.
The Egyptians developed mummification to preserved bodies for the next life and because living relatives would visit tombs to honour the
Mummification was created by the Egyptians to dry out and prepare the body for preservation. It took years to perfect
Embalming requires the body to be taken to the tent known as ibu, or the place of purification, where the embalmers wash his body with sweet-smelling palm wine and then rinse it with water from the Nile. Then one the embalmers makes an incision on the left side of body and removes the internal organs. These are the first parts of the body to decompose so they must be removed first. The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines are washed and packed in Nitron, natural salt used to dry out the moisture. The heart is the only intestine which is not removed because Egyptians that it to be the center for feeling and intelligence in which the person will need for the afterlife. The brain is removed through the nose by using a hook in which they insert and smash the brain to pull it out. The whole body in then covered with Nitron and left there for forty
Next; the body and organs were covered in a powderer mixture, to help draw out moisture. After it dried out, perfumes were used to help keep the moisture out of the bodies and organs. The body could be stuffed to appear more lifelike. After it was then wrapped with a great deal of linen wraps by the priests. Priests were not the only people who helped with the mummification process, there were artists who helped decorate the tombs and sarcophagus, and there were also craftsmen, workers, and embalmers; who helped prepare the bodies get ready for burial. Mummies were then placed in sarcophagus and were buried in underground tombs. The sarcophagus were mostly constructed out of stone, wood, or even constructed and shaped to look like the mummy itself and were embellished. The organs were also placed in specific jars in the tomb with
Mummification was the Egyptians way of preserving the body for after life while it was awaiting the god Osiris for judgement. The process itself is very long and difficult. The brain which was less important was removed by the priest with a hook from the nose in several pieces and them thrown out. The large organs were then removed and the body cavities were packed with rock salt called natron to help to rid the body of moisture along with placing the body in the sun. The heart was the only organ left in the body because it was the body’s spirit or Ka. Organs like the intestines, stomach, liver and lungs were then placed in canopic jars
At the time the brain wasn’t known to be of any importance or have any function, so a long metal hook was stuck through the deceased’s nose, the brain was crushed and mashed, pulled it out back through the nose and disposed of. On the contrary, the heart was left in the body because it was believed to be “the center of intelligence and feeling” ("Mummification") and was needed in the afterlife.
The liver, stomach lungs and guts of a mummy were washed in palm oil. Ancient Egyptians used a hook like tool to remove the brain through the nose. The dead was also mummified in open air tents to relieve the horrific smell. Most of the time a coffin had several other coffins inside one another. If the dead had a wound, before mummification the Ancient Egyptians would patch the wound to have a painless after life. If the dead had one or no eyes a fake eye would take the place of the missing eye.