Ancient Egypt

The story of mummification

Presented By: Prashant Goel XI-C

Herodotus (a famous ancient Greek historian) described mummification in this way:

As much as possible of the brain is taken out through the nostrils with an iron hook. What the hook cannot reach is rinsed out with drugs. Next the side is cut open with a flint knife and the whole contents of the abdomen removed. The space is then thoroughly cleansed and washed out, first with palm wine and again with liquid containing spices. After that, the space in the body is filled with pure myrrh, cassia, and other perfumes except frankincense and sewn up again. Then the body is placed in natrum, covered entirely over, for seventy days - never longer. When this period is over, the body is washed and then wrapped from head to foot in linen cut into strips and smeared with gum, which is often used by the Egyptians instead of glue. The body is given back to the family, who have it put into a wooden case shaped like the human figure. The case is then sealed up and stored in a burial chamber, upright against the wall.

Herodotus provides us with written evidence of the process of mummification. The British Museum contains objects and documents which help us to understand how this process was carried out.
The Egyptians did not understand what the brain was for. They needed to take it out to preserve the body. The easiest way to do this was through the nose with a hooked probe. A small incision (cut) was made in the left side of the body to remove the internal organs. They left the heart inside the body. It would be needed during the journey to the afterlife where it was weighed against the feather of truth.

They removed the other organs and dried them to preserve them.

Ancient Egyptian mummification developed over time.

The first burials in the hot desert sands led to natural mummification of the whole body.

Later, placing the body in a coffin meant that only the skeleton survived. Then the Egyptians learned how to artificially mummify the body before putting it in the coffin.

The organs could be placed in Canopic jars to keep them safe. Qebehsenuef the falcon-headed god looks after the intestines.

Hapy the baboon-headed god looks after the lungs.

Which organ goes in each canopic jar? Look at the heads.

Duamutef the jackal-headed god looks after the stomach. jackal-

Imsety the human-headed god looks after the liver.

They washed the body with pleasant smelling liquids.

They then covered it in natron (natural salt) for 40 days. This dehydrated (dried out) the body and stopped it rotting. This ensured the body was preserved.

Once the body had dehydrated it was washed again using perfumes and oils.

Early mummification was a natural process.

The desert sand was hot and dry. Bodies placed in the hot sand dehydrated because the hot sand absorbed the water in the body.

Dehydration (drying out) preserved the whole body.

The result is a natural sand-dried mummy.

preserved skin

burial in sand

grave goods

But bodies buried in the desert sands were at risk from wild animals.

Munch munch
If animals attacked the bodies they would not be preserved and would not reach the afterlife intact.

How could the ancient Egyptians protect the bodies of the dead?

So the Egyptians started to place the body in a coffin. coffin.

Will this work? This is a skeleton (not a mummy). The soft tissue has rotted away. The whole body needed to be preserved for the afterlife.

Why was the body not preserved? The hot dry sand could not reach the body to dry it out ..so the soft tissue rotted away.

I hope this Presentation Up to your expectation