Grace Havlik 603

Mummy Research Paper

Ancient Egyptians were not afraid of slimy body parts or germs. They had an entire

profession dedicated to removing body parts from dead bodies! The profession was called

embalming. The embalmers spent their days touching slimy body parts, and the occasional

Canopic Jar flip. At least, the embalmers saved the archeologists their appetites! Mummies were

preserved dead bodies that were filled with many materials or resources to help the body stay

preserved. Egypt was not the only place where mummies existed. South America and Europe

also created mummies. The ancient Egyptians were buried according to their wealth. Some

Egyptian pharaohs were buried in pyramids but because of thieves, later in time, the ancient

Egyptians buried the pharaohs in hidden tombs located in the Valley of the Kings. People who

didnt have as much money were buried in the ground like present day. The ancient Egyptians

believed so strongly in mummification that they used a vast amount of materials and different

steps to perfect it, because mummification was an important religious process.

The ancient Egyptians used many materials and tools to mummify dead bodies. Natron

salt was an important material for the process of mummification (Osborne 57). Natron salt is dry

like the desert, and helped prevent the dead body from decaying (Osborne 57). If the mummies

had decayed, archeologists would not have been able to study the bodies (Osborne 57). Natron

salt is a natural salt made up from sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate

(Barrow 1). Another important material was resin, resin is a tree sap (What is resin? 1). Resin

hardened the linen on top of the mummy (Daniel 1). The embalmers used sterilizers on the body,
such as juniper oil and palm wine (Stewart 8). Frankincense was a material that made the body

smell sweet (Stewart 8). The body cavity was stuffed with chaff, sand, rags, and sawdust

(Stewart 8). Embalmers used onions to serve as false eyes (Stewart 8). The embalmers would

place the organs removed from the dead body in Canopic Jars (Brandenberg 15). The lungs were

placed into the Hapy jar, the stomach was placed in the Duamutef jar, the liver was placed into

the Imsety jar, and the intestines were placed in the Qebhsenuef jar (Brandenberg 15). Each of

these jars represented one of Horuss sons, Hapy, Duamutef, Imsety, and Qebhesenuef (Barrow

1). Amulets were placed in the mummy's wrappings as charms, they were meant as good luck, to

protect, and to ward off evil (Kunhardt 12). The materials kept the body preserved, which is why

archaeologists can study mummies present day, and learn facts about ancient Egypt.

There were many steps in the process of mummification. Immediately after the person

died, the first step was to take the organs out of the body, because the organs made the body

decay faster (Osborne 57). Some sources say that the embalmers left the heart inside the body,

but other sources say the opposite. Brandenberg states that the heart was replaced with a stone

scarab (15). But Mark claims the opposite because, when the soul entered the afterworld, they

were required to get past The Hall of Truth to get the the Field of Reeds, where every ancient

Egyptian dreamed of going after death (1). It needed its heart to do this. First, the soul handed

its heart over to Osiris (the god of the dead) and he put it on a scale, with the feather of truth on

the other side (Mark 1). If the heart weighed lighter than the feather of truth, it could enter the

Field of Reeds (Mark 1). But, if the heart was heavier than the feather, the soul would be thrown

to the floor in the Hall of Truth and eaten by the god Amenti (Mark 1). Without the heart, the

soul could not be judged to go to the Field of Reeds (Mark 1). Another important step to the
mummification process was to pull out the brain with a hooked instrument (Brandenberg 15).

Then the body was washed with wine (Osborne 57). Spices and oils were rubbed onto the body

to prevent foul odors from the body (Osborne 57). The dead body was put on a slanted table to

let all of the liquids flow out, while priests said prayers (Osborne 57). The body was left to dry

for 40 days (Osborne 57). After the 40 days, the mummy was wrapped in twenty layers of linen

shrouds (Brandenberg 17). Resin was put on the linen to make it harden (Osborne 57). Amulets

were put inside the linen strips (Osborne 58). Sometimes, a mask that looked like the person was

put on the mummy (Osborne 59). After all of that, the mummy was taken to its tomb (Osborne

59). Ceremonies were held for each step of the process (Brandenberg 17). The sarcophagus the

mummy was put in had four painted features: a fake door where the dead bodys ka would come

in, an eye so the mummy would be able to see, mummy titles and names, and food offerings

(Artifacts 1). The steps happened in a special order so the mummy would come out perfectly.

There were several beliefs of why the ancient Egyptians mummified their dead. One

belief supported that when an ancient Egyptian died, the spirit left the body and led the Egyptian

the to the afterworld. The spirit would have to recognize the dead body in order for it to be led to

the afterworld (Kunhardt 3). The process of mummification was to preserve the dead bodys

original appearance so its spirit could recognize the mummy (Kunhardt 3). Another belief is that

when an ancient Egyptian died, elements of that bodys soul perished. But the soul did not perish

when it was mummified (Daniel 1). When dead, a new life would start. It was called the afterlife

(Kunhardt 3). In the afterworld, playing, eating, drinking, and farming were possible, everyone

was given work to do (Kunhardt 3). Little dolls that were placed inside the mummys tomb were

called shabtis (Rituals 1). The shabtis would do all the work for the mummy in the afterworld
(Rituals 1). The idea of life after death came from the Egyptian gods. The god Osiris, was

killed by his brother, Seth. Osiriss wife, Isis, found Osiriss pieces all over the world and

brought them together. Horus, Osiriss son, brought Osiris back to life when all of the pieces

were found (Rituals 1). Ancient Egyptians would do the reenactment of the story at

ceremonies after the mummy had been mummified (Rituals 1). The ancient Egyptians thought

mummies would come back to life just as Osiris had (Rituals 1). The ancient Egyptians

believed everyone had an invisible twin named a Ba (Brandenberg 7 and 8). The ancient

Egyptians wanted to live forever, and the only way to do that was if the Ba of the dead body

recognized the body (Brandenberg 7 and 8). The ancient Egyptians spent lots of time

mummifying their dead, through their appreciation for life after death.

Mummification was important to the ancient Egyptians, they used many tools found

throughout Egypt, they went through many important steps in order for the mummy to have a

good life in the afterworld, and they supported mummification with many reasons. The materials

used to mummify was the reason it was possible for the process to be completed. The mummies

had many materials put on them in order to keep them preserved. There were many steps taking

place of mummifying the body and the process took 70 days. The ancient Egyptians cherished

life and they never wanted it to end. The ancient Egyptians showed their appreciation for life by

mummifying.
 Bibliography

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not know. The Salariya Book Company Ltd, 2005.

Osborne, Will, and Mary Pope Osborne. Mummies and Pyramids. Random House Childrens

books, 2001.

Kunhardt, Edith. Mummies. Golden Books Publishing Company, Inc, 2000.

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Barrow, Mandy. Egyptian Mummies. Ancient Egypt, 2017,

www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/egypt/mummies.htm. Accessed 26 Jan. 2017.

C, Daniel. Tools used in Mummification. People of our Everyday life, 2017,

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2017.

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