Mummy In Ancient Egypt

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s mummy gave great insight into the Ancient Egyptian process of mummification. The extensive process is no longer the mystery that it once was. Since Egypt is known for its dry, humid climate, the earliest mummies were buried in shallow pits of sand, the organs placed in special pottery jars. Often, pottery coffins were used, but at times, bodies were placed in the sand. Around 2,000 B.C., when mummification practices became more widespread, bodies underwent an elaborate process and descended into the afterlife. Many Egyptians enjoyed and lived life to the fullest extent possible. Since Egyptians believed that an afterlife existed, they wanted to ensure that the dead could experience a “New Life.” For this reason,

First, the corpse underwent a natron bath—a mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium chloride (regular salt.) Known for its drying properties, natron was used extensively in the mummification process. On the outside of the corpse, natron would be applied throughout, and inside the cavities once occupied by life-sustaining organs, had packets of natron wrapped in linen to rid the body of excess moisture. After 40 days had passed, the natron was discarded, and the body was given a sort of cleansing bath with different wine and spices. Once the bath had been completed, the arduous task of wrapping began. As difficult as using hundreds of yards of linen sounds, this was the case with mummification. What’s intriguing, however, is that most of the linen used was recycled—namely from a previous owner’s home. Between each layer, priests applied resin to act as a bonding agent. Individual fingers and toes would be given discrete and special attention and wrapped

A priest would touch the mummies’ mouth with a special instrument enabling him or her to gain the ability to move, talk, and eat. Then, the tomb was sealed up, and the Canopic Jars and other artifacts were placed beside the mummy. Often, elaborate coffins were made—3 in one. One outer coffin, which was carved to resemble a mummy contained the mummy, and the other two were placed inside the outermost layer. Another name for the coffins is called a sarcophagus. Before the soul could be transported to the afterlife, he or she had to confer with forty-two spiritual assessors. Then, the heart was weighed against a feather to determine a moral life worth living. Annibus, the God who presided over embalming did the weighing, and Thoth a religious scribe, recorded the result on a