EMBALMING
AND
THE CREATION OF MUMMIES
OBJECTIVE
• To understand
certain aspects of
Egyptian religion,
specifically, why
mummies were
created and how
this process was
carried out
THE AFTERLIFE
• One major aspect of Egyptian religion was the
belief in life after death
• To ensure this, the body must be preserved so
that the soul (ka) has a place to live after death
• Human bodies decay naturally, so steps must be
taken to preserve the body
• no preservation = no afterlife
Embalming= still
done today
Mummification =
only took place
in Ancient Egypt
MUMMIFICATION
• Embalming is the process used to preserve a
dead body
• This was very time consuming and
expensive, so this was usually limited to the
powerful and wealthy
• Took 70 days to complete, done by priests
MUMMIFICATION
• Anubis- God of
Mummification
• Priests wore Jackal
masks during parts of
the mummification
process to symbolize
this god
STEP 1- PURIFY THE BODY
• Body would be washed once with water, and a
second time with natron
• Natron- dehydrates, preserves
STEP 2- HANDLE THE BRAIN
• Remove brain and discard, as it was
believed that the brain had no importance
and was simply stuffing for the head
• How to remove the brain? Get creative!
• Brain cavity then filled with sawdust, resin,
and linen
STEP 3- DEAL WITH THE ORGANS
• “Slicer” Priest makes long
incision down left side of
body
• Major organs (liver, kidneys,
intestines, etc) were removed
through an incision in the
abdomen
• These would be embalmed
separately and stored in
Canopic Jars
CANOPIC JARS
• Intestines put in falcon jar
• Lungs put in Baboon Jar
• Liver Put in Jar with Human Head
• Stomach but in Jackal Jar
• All Organs Dried in Natron before being
placed in jars
WHAT ABOUT THE HEART?
• Never removed
from body
• Believed to be
where intelligence
and emotion came
from
• Played a role in a
person’s entry into
the afterlife
STEP 4- DEAL WITH THE BODY
• Body cavity is washed out
• Body is folded and put in a large jar filled
with natron to remove fatty tissue and peel
away muscle
• Body remains in jar for 40 days and comes
out 75% lighter in weight
STEP 5- STUFF THE BODY
• After the body comes out of the natron, it is
rinsed and dried
• Body cavity is filled with linen scraps, resin,
bags of natron, and sawdust in order to
maintain its’ shape
• Body is then sewn shut or sealed with wax
• Face is “plumped up” with mud inserted
through tiny cuts in skin
• False Eyes are created using onions
• A wig might be created if the dead person is
wealthy enough.
STEP 6- WRAP IT UP
• Next comes a 15 day process of
wrapping the body in strips of linen
• 20 layers of wrapping needed
• Started with hands and feet
• A huge amount of linen was used, up to
450 square feet!
• Amulets with special powers were often
inserted between the layers
“EXTRAS” FOR THE WEALTHY
• Amulets made from gold and silver
to be wrapped in the linen
• Finger and Toe Stalls made of gold
to protect these important body
parts
• Portrait Mask to be placed over the
bandages
A MUMMY
STEP 7- MASK
• When wrapping is
completed, the
mummy is fitted
with a burial mask
• Pharaoh- Gold
• Otherscartonnage
(paper mache)
STEP 7- SARCOPHAGUS
• Again, usually limited to
pharaohs and very wealthy
• It is essentially a coffin, and
was meant to further aid in
the preservation of the
body
• Often three coffins that
“nest” together
• Persons name and many
compliments about the
person are written on the
coffins
COFFINS
• Coffins were
painted inside and
out. Inside: prayers,
incantations, maps
of the underworld.
Outside: likeness of
the dead person.
EYES OF HORUS
• Two “udjats” (eyes
of horus) painted on
inside near head so
mummy could see
out.
STEP 8- ENTOMB!
• The mummy would then be placed in
a Stone tomb, which depending on
the time period could be above or
below ground
• Tombs are painted with pictures
showing people enjoying the afterlife
TOMB ROOMS
GOODS FOR THE AFTERLIFE
• Fill Tomb with all items that were needed in
life to make the afterlife more pleasurable
•
•
•
•
•
Food
Entertainment
Pets
Household items
Shabitis (small figurines of servants to serve people
in the afterlife)
SHABITIS
BOOK OF THE DEAD
• Collection of prayers, passwords,
spells, and advice collected over
100’s of years
• Travel Guide to the underworld
• As many of 190 different
“chapters”
COLLECTION OF SPELLS FROM THE
BOOK OF THE DEAD
• For causing a Shabti to do work for a man in the
realm of the dead
• For going out into the day after opening the
tomb
• For not permitting a mans heart to be taken from
him in the realm of the dead
• For repelling a beetle
• For driving off a snake
• For drinking water and not being burnt by fire
BOOK OF THE DEAD
BOOK OF THE DEAD
FUNERAL
• Happens about 70 days after a person
dies
• All mourners are dressed in blue and
many are hired professionals because
they wail loudly and throw ash on
themselves. Social status gauged by the
number of people present
• Burial is on the west side of the Nile
MOURNERS
OPENING OF THE MOUTH
CEREMONY
• Several priests
needed to chant
prayers
• One priest raises an
adze to touch the
coffins mouth
• All of the senses are
restored to the
mummy for the
afterlife!
OSIRIS
HIGH TECH SCANS AND X-RAYS
REAL MUMMIES
RAMSES
VIDEO LINKS
• Mummification video
• Zahi Hawass on mummification
• Screaming Man Video