Mummy: Ancient Egypt and Mummification

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.

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

Mummification is an ancient egyptian burial rite that is centered around preparing the soul of the deceased for the afterlife. There are multiple steps involved in the process of mummification and several objects with different functions used to perform this burial rite. Mummification is centered around the thought that death was merely physical and your soul continued living, with the ability to take distinct action, in the afterlife. Everyone desired to be mummified, however the extent of the mummification depended on the wealth of the family involved. Mummification was also generally not a rite reserved for criminals and lawbreakers since the idea behind mummification is for the deceased to have an easier afterlife.

Ceremonial mummification was very different from the sacrificial mummification, because ceremonial mummies were usually kings and nobles. The king’s body was usually prepared very carefully and extravagantly. Their funerals were celebrated with great pomp and splendor; their bodies were embalmed and magnificently dressed, kept on the throne and attended on by staff. Kings were accompanied in their graves with exquisite decorations, multi colored woven burial coats and pottery and animal sacrifices. To celebrate their life the king or noble’s body was taken to each temple and shrine in every village to be blessed.

“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.

The shrine of Tutankhamun uncovers the burial customs of the New Kingdom Egyptians. The Canopic Shrine positioned on the east wall of the Treasury holds Tutankhamun's embalmed internal organs. A gold chest held four Canopic jars containing the dead pharaoh's internal organs in each jar. Undoubtedly, through the process of mummification, the embalmers must have removed the internal organs and preserved them in the Canopic jars, perhaps to be taken with the pharaoh to the next world. The third and innermost of three coffins of Tutankhamun is made of solid gold and is inset with semiprecious stones and coloured glass. It is covered with carved decorations and inscriptions inside and outside. It bears the names and epitaph of the deceased king and also protective texts. From this we discover the significance of the importance of the decoration of the mummy was, and the power the coffin was believed to hold. Originally, mummification was so expensive that it was a privilege enjoyed only by the Pharaoh and few nobles. Everybody else was given a simple grave burial in one of the vast cemeteries or "necropolises" of the time. But the promise of eternal life was so appealing that it wasn't long before other classes of Egyptians began signing up for mummification, too.

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

“Egyptian civilization, one of learning and constant advancement, led them to study the human body and experiment with treatments and remedies”- Ancient Egyptian Medicine: The Study and Practice of Medicine in Ancient.The Egyptians wanted to mummify people because they believed that once someone passes away the soul will come back and reunite with the body once it is buried. Mummification was a long and precise process because it was important to Egyptians . A famous Pharaoh, King Tut, mummification process was very important because he was admired by many. New medicines were discovered because of mummification such as remedies, medicines containing herbs and medicine to clean the organs. As well as new discoveries of the human body was discovered,

On November 21st at 7:30 in Williams gym, Dr. Tasha- Dobbin Bennet, an assistant professor of art history and studio art at Oxford college, gave a lecture on “Ancient Egyptian Conceptions of Decompositions.” She spoke about the stages and and events of decomposition that occur during the mummification. I really enjoyed how she analyzed the significance and meaning behind hieroglyphics and related it to her findings about mummification. Dr. Bennet revealed an enlightening perspective on ancient Egyptian history.

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 heart was sometimes left in the body, but other times it was removed and dried with natron. Then it was either put back in the corpses body or placed beside it in the coffin.

Egypt offered a unique culture to the world; from gods and goddesses to large pyramids. One interesting tradition that the Egyptians used to do is mummification. Mummification was considered extremely important for those that had died and moved onto the afterlife. Since they want the deceased to be able to roam the afterlife, they wanted to keep bodies as “alive” looking as possible. First off, every organ in the body would be taken out, leaving only the heart in place. The Egyptians believed that the heart was needed to guide the dead in the afterlife. They would usually try to turn the brain into liquid by using a specific tool inserted through the nostril and cranking it. Using materials that they found nearby,

The knowledge collected about the burial practices of the rich and poor, the emphasis on death in the culture, mummification, and their concept of the afterlife has contributed to developing a deeper understanding of the Egyptian’s beliefs. There are gaps in the research in regards to how widely practiced these beliefs are across the social classes. More research needs to be done in regards to the beliefs of the members in the lower social classes. The comprehension of this topic will allow for historians to further understand how the Egyptian society operated and what influences they could have on modern society.

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

The mummies of Ancient Egypt are one of the world’s most incredible discoverie. Mummies were created during the mummification process. Then they put mummies are put in a casket.