Essay on The Process of Mummification - 754 Words

The Process of Mummification The earliest ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert. The heat and dryness of the sand dehydrated the bodies quickly, creating lifelike and natural mummies Later, the ancient Egyptians began burying their dead in coffins to protect them from wild animals in the desert. However, they realized that bodies placed in coffins decayed when they were not exposed to the hot, dry sand of the desert. Over many centuries, the ancient Egyptians developed a method of preserving bodies so they would remain lifelike.Today we call this process mummification. First the embalmers†¦show more content†¦Then it is covered with oils to help the skin stay elastic. The dehydrated internal organs are wrapped in linen and returned to the body. The body is stuffed with dry materials such as sawdust, leaves and linen so that it looks lifelike. Often the mummy would be over filled with sawdust and it would explode. Some times the embalmers made mistakes and a body was badly mummified. It would turn dark and brittle and limbs would drop off. If the person had a missing limb due to bad mummification or because they had previously had a limb missing wooden ones would be used as substitutes. Finally the body is covered again with good-smelling oils. It is now ready to be wrapped in linen In the past, when the internal organs were removed from a body they were placed in hollow canopic jars. Over many years the embalming practices changed and embalmers began returning internal organs to bodies after the organs had been dried in natron. However, solid wood or stone canopic jars were still buried with the mummy to symbolically protect the internal organs. Imsety the human-headed god looks after the liver Hapi the baboon-headed god looks after the lungs Duamutef the jackal-headed god looks after the stomach Qebehsenuef the falcon-headed god looks after the intestines. First the head and neck are wrapped with strips of fine linen. Then the fingers and theShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Egyptian Process of Mummification906 Words   |  4 PagesThe Egyptian Process of Mummification In ancient Egyptian society, preserving a body after death was an important process necessary for entrance into an immortal existence. According to Egyptian belief the soul did not die. The soul would take the form of a bird usually a falcon and fly around in the world of the living returning later its dead body. The importance of preserving the body revolved around the idea that the roaming soul would be able to recognize the right body andRead MoreThe Loss Of A Loved One1184 Words   |  5 Pagesreceive sympathy and comfort while she is grieving. This isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to self-mummification. Mummification is a ritual that not many people have much of a say in. A person is either mummified by the conditions they die in, or as part of a ceremony after death. 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