There are no existing Egyptian texts which tell us how mummification was carried out, and there are wall scenes in only two tombs which show some of the stages in preparing and decorating the mummy. However, two Greek writers, Herodotus (fifth century BC) and Diodorus Siculus (first century BC), have left written accounts describing the main stages of the procedure, and the mummies themselves also provide us with information about the various techniques.
According to Herodotus, three main methods were available, depending on the clients ability to pay. The most expensive was the most successful in preserving the body, and involved several stages. At death, the corpse was taken by the family to the embalmer's workshop which was situated in the cemetery area. The process apparently took seventy days to complete, although perhaps only forty days were needed for the actual mummification, and religious rituals would have occupied the remaining time.
The embalmers and their assistants probably wore masks to impersonate the gods who attended the mummification of Osiris. A special funerary priest would have presided over the various stages, and recited the relevant religious texts. First, the body was stripped and placed on a board or platform. From at least the time of the Middle Kingdom (circa 1900BC), the brain was removed through a passage chiselled through the left nostril and the ethmoid bone into the skull cavity. The brain tissue was then reduced to fragments by means of a metal hook which was introduced through this cavity. The embalmer used a kind of spatula to extract the fragments, but brain removal was usually incomplete and some tissue was left behind. Brain tissue, regarded as unimportant, was discarded, and the skull cavity was either left empty or later filled with resin or resin soaked -linen. Alternative measures were used in some mummies, where the brain fragments were either removed through the base of the skull or through a hole made in the eye socket.
The Mummification Process. ... The process of mummification has two stages. ... The Egyptian climate lent itself well to the mummification process, being both very hot and dry. ... The entire mummification process took about seventy days. In conclusion, the mummification process was the Egyptian way of life after death. ...
Mummies 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 mummification process took seventy days? ... This stage of the process would disfigure the face. ... The last step to mummification was wrapping the body. ... At various stages during the wrapping process, the form was coated with a warm resin. ...
Archeologists are also able to identify the customs, traditions and beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians and reveal more knowledge regarding the mummification process. ... The Canopic Jars found in the tomb developed historian's knowledge of the mummification process in Ancient Egypt. ... Egyptologist Sir Ernest Budge came up with the theory that extended the knowledge of historians regarding the mummification process. ... They have a significant role within the mummification process which was sacred to the Ancient Egyptians. The canopic jars were significant in the discovery in the tomb o...
Egypt is very diverse and has a large amount of interesting things that range from mummification to their complex religion. ... One of the most fascinating parts of their religion was mummification. Mummification would usher the Egyptian into the next life. ... The Pharaoh would also under go the mummification process after death so that his body would be preserved for the next life. I thought that the mummification was well covered in the video that we watched. ...
The process of making a mummy which we call today mummification included embalming, a treatment to protect dead body from decay, and wrapping the bodies in strips of linen. ... Then the body is taken to Per-Nefer or the "House of Mummification". ... Figure 6: The summarized process of embalming mummy. Figure 7: The summarized process of wrapping a mummy. ... The process of making a mummy consists of two major parts, the embalming and the wrapping process. ...
How were the bodies mummified? Why were only the elite mummified? ... By 2600 BC, the Egyptians had successfully developed the process of intentional mummification. ... Mummification continued until the 7th century AD. ... However, there are many that enjoy learning about mummies and are fascinated with the process of mummification. ...
The natural aridity of some South American regions, the taphonomic processes, created numerous mummies. ... This rendered each natural mummification process a true asset, due to the undisturbed burials, many in situ and with soft tissue for potential DNA analysis. Therefore, research analyses conducted was largely done so on mummified remains. ... Degenerative Processes Osteoarthritis was identified in a 40-year-old female mummy. ... In certain regional locations the prevalence of degenerative processes were higher in women. ...
The mummification of the falcon of Horus from the Ptolemaic period of Abydos around the second century B.C. links the lifestyles of the people with their concerned for the afterlife. ... This process was known to have taken seventy days and to produce a recognizable, yet shriveled figure. ... Because of the emphasis with the afterlife and godly domain, the Egyptians not only preserved their people through amazing embalming techniques, but sites of mummified animals have also been found. ... Mummified falcon sites are found great distances apart down the Nile River. ... Mummified animals w...
