The Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, 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.
After death a body is unable to fight off bacteria and begins to decompose. In
order to prevent a body from decomposing it is necessary to deprive the tissues
of moisture and oxygen.
The 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, when the Egyptians began to use coffins to protect the body
from scavengers they found that it decomposed.
In order to ensure that the body was preserved the Ancient Egyptians began to
use a process called mummification. This involved embalming the body and then
wrapping it in thin strips of linen.
5.The dried organs were wrapped in linen and placed in canopic jars.

The lid of each jar was shaped to represent one of Horus' four sons. The picture
shows from left to right –

Imsety, who had a human head - guardian of the liver

Hapy, who had the head of a baboon - guardian of the lungs
Qebehsenuf, who had the head of a falcon - guardian of the intestines
Duamatef, who had the head of a jackal - guardian of the stomach

6. The body was cleaned and the dried

skin rubbed with oil.
7. The body was packed with sawdust and
rags and the open cuts sealed with wax.
8. The body was wrapped in linen
bandages. About 20 layers were used and
this took 15 to 20 days.
9. A death mask was placed over the
bandages.
10. The bandaged body was placed in a
shroud (a large sheet of cloth) which was
secured with linen strips.
11. The body was then placed in a
decorated mummy case or coffin.
 Making a Mummy
Put the sentences below into the correct order to show the stages used to make
a mummy

6. The dried organs were wrapped in linen and placed in canopic

jars 1. The body was washed

9. The bandaged body was placed in a shroud and secured with linen

strips 10. A death mask was placed over the bandages

3. A cut was made on the left side of the abdomen and the internal organs -
intestines, liver, lungs, stomach, were removed

2. A hooked instrument was used to remove the brain through the nose

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

with wax

11. The body was placed in a decorated mummy case

8. The body was wrapped in about 20 layers of linen bandages

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

7. The body was cleaned and the dried skin rubbed with oil
 Making a Mummy
Put the sentences below into the correct order to show the stages used to make
a mummy

5. The dried organs were wrapped in linen and placed in canopic jars

1. The body was washed

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

9. A death mask was placed over the bandages

2. A cut was made on the left side of the abdomen and the internal organs -
intestines, liver, lungs, stomach, were removed

3. A hooked instrument was used to remove the brain through the nose

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

with wax

11. The body was placed in a decorated mummy case

8. The body was wrapped in about 20 layers of linen bandages

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

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

INTESTINES CANOPICJAR DEATHMASK

PRESERVE BANDAGES STOMACH
ORGANS NATRON SHROUD
MUMMY LIVER LUNGS
HEART BRAIN LINEN
CASE
Design Your Own Sarcophagus