mummy

Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died then  they made a journey to the next world. They believed that in order to live in the next world their body had to be preserved and protected. A preserved body is called a mummy.

After the death a body begins to decompose. In order to prevent that body from decomposing it is necessary to deprive the tissues of moisture and oxygen.

Earliest Egyptians buried their dead in shallow pits in the desert. The hot, dry sand quickly removed moisture from the dead body and created a natural mummy. However, Egyptians discovered that if the body was first placed in a coffin, it would not be preserved and protected.

In order to ensure that the body was preservedand the Ancient Egyptians began to use a process called as mummification. This involved embalming the body and then wrapping it in thin strips of linen.

Mummification
Mummification process took around 70 days and involved the following steps:

1. The body was washed and cleaned

2. A cut was made on to the left side of the abdomen and the internal organs - intestines, liver, lungs, and stomach, were removed. The heart, which the Ancient Egyptians believed to be the centre of emotion and intelligence, was left in the body for use for the  next life.

3 A hooked instrument was used to remove the brain through the nose. The brain was not that much of  important and was thrown away.

4. The body and the other internal organs were packed with natron salt for forty days to remove all moisture.

5. The dried organs were wrapped in linen and placed in trhe canopic jars. The lid of each jar was shaped to represent one of Horus' four sons. The picture (right) taken by Nina Aldin Thune shows from left to right -

6. The body was cleaned and the dried skin rubbed the with oil.

7. The body was packed with the sawdust and rags and open cuts sealed with wax

8. The body was wrappedwith the  in linen bandages. About 20 layers were used and this took 15 to 20 days.

9. A death mask was placed over the bandages through on

10. The bandaged body was placed in a shroud which was secured with linen strips.

11. The body was placed in a decorated mummy case or coffin.