The Why and The How of Mummification.
Mummification, in prehistoric times, was thought to happen by accident due to the lack of rainfall in Egypt. The dry sand and air preserved bodies that were buried in shallow sand graves. Mummification however, was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. It was around 2600 B.C. that the Egyptians intentionally began to mummify their dead. It is believed that the traditional method began withIsis, who mummified her husband, Osiris? (DiPaolo, M.S.) Burying the dead was a religious practice of the Egyptians.The Egyptians believed that the vital life-force was composed of several psychical elements?, with the most important element being the Ka (DiPaolo, M.S.) Ka is the part of the human being that defines personality and that survives life on earth after death?. (Sayre, 416) The Ka could not exist without the body, so preserving the corpse became imperative. Why did the Egyptians preserve the body? The Egyptians believed the mummified body was the home for the soul and spirit. If the body were destroyed, the spirit would be lost. .
The Egyptians would duplicate the body of the dead to accompany the body throughout life and after death. Wood and stone replicas were put inside tombs in the event the mummy was destroyed. The greater the number of duplicates, the more chances the dead body had of being resurrected. The death rituals and mummification suggest that the Egyptians were preoccupied with death, but the early planning for death was due to 'their great love of life? and they wanted to make sure that great lifewould continue after death? (Encyclopedia Smithsonian).
The mummification process took seventy days? (Encyclopedia Smithsonian). Special priests were embalmers that treated and wrapped the bodies. These priests also had to know rituals and prayers, and had to have knowledge of the human anatomy.
First, the priests would remove the internal organs.
How were the bodies mummified? Why were only the elite mummified? Why were they put into huge pyramids with their belongings and food? How come servants, and sometimes whole families, were buried with them? ... However, there are many that enjoy learning about mummies and are fascinated with the process of mummification. ...
The mummified body and the tomb were believed to be essential to the after-life. ... Before the burial, "Opening of the Mouth" was performed on the mummy of the deceased. The priest would open the mouth of the mummy with a tool so the mummy could speak and eat the funeral meal. ... That is why the Egyptians made every effort to make sure that the body remained intact and kept a likeness to the person who died. ... This is how Horus became identified with the living pharaoh. ...
Each artefact aided historians to develop their understanding of life, death and mummification. ... Lucas applied chemical analyses to Egyptian mummies which revealed the types of substances Egyptians used in embalming. After further study, historians recognise that the Egyptians believed the heart was the home of the soul and that was why they left the heart intact within the corpse. ... They have a significant role within the mummification process which was sacred to the Ancient Egyptians. ... This chest is significant in the discovery of the tomb as it allowed Egyptologists and costume his...
As such, it will focus on how the media uses imagery to manipulate our understandings of Muslim and Arab culture as an example of how the media shapes our views on identity. ... This can be seen in such films such as "The Mummy's Hand" (1940) and most recently "The Mummy" (1999) and "The Mummy Returns" (2001). However, clearly there is more to Egyptian culture than pyramids, curses and the mummified undead; in reality it is a state with a long and honorable history (Shaheen, 2009; 90). ... An interesting question that arises from these studies then is why ...
At the time it was pretty cool to have, almost like a badge of honor to show how tough you were. ... Why would people want to get their pores pumped with ink? ... We discuss the implications of getting tattooed as well as the tattoo removal process in the article How Tattoo Removal Works. ... Iceman, a mummified human body dating from about 3300 B.C., are tattoos. ... Tattoos found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies date from about 2000 B.C., and classical authors mention the use of tattoos in connection with Greeks, ancient Germans, Gauls, Thracians and ancient Britons. ...
That is why they prevented the corpse from decaying by an elaborate method of embalming it, and binding it up with strips of cloth. As it was for the mummy of the king that the pyramid had been built, his body was laid in the centre of the huge structure in a stone coffin. ... This resulted with increased numbers of tomb sites and mummification became somewhat of an industry. ... The top half of the body, the shoulders and chest, are best seen from the front, for then we see how the arms are hinged to the body. ... This book was like a bible, consisting of hymns to th...
During this time there were many changes in terms of what the ancient Egyptians believed in, and how they lived their lives. ... Basically that is how the great civilization of Ancient Egypt got started. ... Also they have found several mummies with artificial teeth. ... The first ever mummification was in Egypt and the process was used for centuries to come by all Egyptian peoples. ... So that is why the Ancient Egyptians carefully mummified their dead, then laid them in tombs to rest. ...
