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Mummification throughout the World

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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

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