Mummification Process

The eyes themselves were not removed, linen pads or artificial eyes made of obsidian or glass were inserted over the eyeballs, to make the mummy appear more realistic.
             True mummification involved two basic processes: evisceration of the body and treatment of the tissues with natron, a substance which removed the bodily fluids. The body was eviscerated through an incision in the abdomen (usually placed on the left side). The viscera (internal organs) were reached through this incision, when the embalmer put his hand inside the abdomen to cut the organs free with a special knife. He removed them and then made a further cut in the diaphragm, so that he could pass his arm into the chest cavity. Here, he removed all the organs except the heart, which was left in place because Egyptians believed that it was the thinking and feeling part of the person. Neither did the embalmer remove the kidneys, perhaps because they were difficult to reach. However, evisceration was rarely perfect or complete, and parts of the organs were frequently left behind. In some mummies there was no attempt at all at evisceration.
             The extracted viscera were then dehydrated using natron. This substance, a mixture of sodium carbonate (washing soda) and bicarbonate (baking powder), combined with impurities including salt, occurs in natural deposits in the Wadi en-Natrun, a dry valley in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians used natron for washing clothes and cleaning their teeth as well as for mummification.
             Once treated and dried, the organs were wrapped in four parcels and placed under the protection of four gods known as the Four Sons of Horus. The parcels were usually placed in four containers (Canopic jars) and kept in the tomb, some sets of jars have stoppers that represent the human, baboon, jackal and falcon heads of the Four Sons of Horus. In circa 100BC a new custom was introduced, and the viscera parcels, each decorated with a wax image of the appropriate deity, were replaced in the chest and abdomen cavities of the mummy.