Mummification – How the Egyptians Preserved Bodies

The very ancient Egyptians used to bury their dead in pits out in the desert. The body was wrapped in goat hide and then buried with everyday objects such as pots, beads, amulets and other items which might be needed in the afterlife. The extreme heat and dryness of the sand caused the bodies to dehydrate and become preserved. Because the bodies of the dead were regularly disturbed by wild animals, the Egyptians began placing the bodies in coffins.

However, the Egyptians soon discovered that the bodies decayed due to the fact that they were not exposed to the dryness and heat of the desert. Additionally, because valuable objects were being buried with the deceased, grave robbing became a common problem. For these reasons, the Egyptians were forced to seek a better way to preserve the bodies of their dead, and eventually they developed the process of embalming and mummification.

Before they developed the embalming process, the Egyptians started wrapping the bodies of the dead with linen cloth soaked in resin (hydrocarbon secretion from plants and trees) or they covered them with plaster and molded it around the body. As the plaster or resin dried, it molded to the shape of the body. They did this because they wanted a permanent covering on the body which would keep the shape of a human body, even if the body was decayed inside the covering.

The Egyptian mummification process consisted of two stages: the first step was to embalm the body and the second step was the wrapping of the body and the burial.

Embalming the body: The Egyptians started embalming their dead in the 4^th Dynasty (2613-2498 BCE). It was during this time that they started removing the internal organs from the corpses through an incision in the abdomen. These organs were not disposed of, and instead were wrapped in resin-soaked linen and were placed in containers or in other special areas of the tomb. The practice of wrapping the bodies in molded linens continued even after the organs were removed because removal of the organs did not stop the decaying process. The corpses were however wrapped in a flat, extended position as opposed to the crouched position which had been previously used.

It was also in Dynasty 4 that the Egyptians started using natron. Natron is a naturally occurring salt, which was considered a purifying agent because it cleansed by chemically destroying fat and grease. The purifying agent has been found in jars in tombs, in pits with other embalming materials, on wooden embalming tables and on mummies themselves. Natron was also mixed with incense for purification and it was used in all purification ceremonies.

During the First Intermediate Period, the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period (2181-1570 BCE), further advances were made in embalming. It was at this time that large amounts of dry natron were used. They were packed around the bodies in order to remove all water from the corpses. Another change in the way bodies were embalmed was that the internal organs were removed by injecting an enema of oleo-resin (a turpentine substance) to dissolve the organs. The organs then flowed out of the body easily. Because the natron drying process caused the fingernails and toenails to fall off, they were tied on with thread.

It was also during this time that other internal organs were removed however, the heart was left intact as it was believed that it would be needed in the afterlife. After the inside of the body was emptied it was stuffed with linen or linen and sawdust soaked in resin.

Masks were made of cartonnage, a material made from the waste from papyrus or linen soaked in plaster. These masks were designed with a face and wig that would make the mummy easier to recognize. The masks were then used to cover the heads and shoulders of the mummies.

The most advancement in mummification was made during The New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE). The embalming process was made longer and lasted fifty-two days. This was done in the House of Mummification, called the Per-Nefer. The first step was to remove all the necessary organs and then the brain was removed through the nose using a long, bronze probe. Other organs were removed through an incision in the abdomen, however, the heart and kidneys were left inside the body. After the organs were removed they were washed, soaked in natron that had been treated with hot resin, they were bandaged and put into canopic jars. The inside of the body was then cleaned, most probably with palm wine, and then stuffed with linen, natron and resin. The fingernails and toenails were tied down and the body was dried out with large amounts of natron. The part of the embalming process took about 40 days to complete.

Afterward, the body was taken to The House of Purification, called the Wabet. In the Wabet, the body was washed with water from the Nile River, the skull was stuffed with linen soaked with resin, and the body was emptied and repacked with linen bags of sawdust or myrrh soaked with resin. The body was then sewn up. The entire body was then rubbed with a mixture made of cedar oil, wax, natron, and gum and then it was dusted with spices. Finally, the nose was plugged up and onions were inserted under the eyelids. The body was then coated with hot resin in order to close the pores.

From the fifty-third day to the day of the funeral the body was carefully wrapped. Each limb was bandaged separately and then the torso was covered. Large linen shrouds were placed between the layers of bandages. Jewelry and amulets were also wrapped within the bandages.

Sources:

• spurlock.uiuc.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html

• ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/home.html