Mummification was the ancient Egyptian way of preserving the body after death so that the soul could recognize it and live on in the afterlife. The practice lasted for some 3,000 years, and at its height, in the New Kingdom, the full process took about 70 days.
How it was done
Embalmers, who were also priests, worked in a tent called the “place of purification”. First they washed the body. They removed the brain through the nose with a hook. They made a cut in the left side and took out the lungs, liver, stomach and intestines, which were dried and stored in four canopic jars, each guarded by a son of Horus. The heart was left in place, because it was needed for the judgment of the dead. The body was covered in natron, a natural salt, for about 40 days to dry it out. Then it was rubbed with oils and resins, packed with linen, and wrapped in hundreds of meters of bandages, with amulets placed between the layers.
mummification process in EgyptThe final rites
A mask was placed over the face, and the mummy was laid in its coffin. At the tomb, priests performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, touching the face with sacred tools so that the dead person could eat, breathe and speak again.
Not only humans
Egyptians also mummified animals: pets, sacred bulls, cats, ibises, crocodiles and more, millions of them as offerings to the gods. You can see crocodile mummies at Kom Ombo and the royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. There is also a small mummification museum in Luxor. Read about the afterlife and judgment.
