Existing comment:
Mummification:
Mummification arose out of the Egyptian belief that the deceased must be physically preserved in order for them to enjoy the afterlife. In the pre-Dynastic period (prior to ca 3100 BC) bodies were preserved naturally by dehydration in the hot, dry climate; beginning in the Old Kingdom (when only rulers were mummified), Egyptians developed a ritualized process by which a body was first embalmed and then wrapped to create a mummy.
The body of the deceased was taken to a tent known as an ibu (place of purification), where it was washed. All internal organs were removed except the heart, the seat of consciousness, which was left in place. The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were preserved separately, while the brain was discarded as unnecessary. The body was then packed and covered with a naturally occurring drying agent called natron (netjeryt, divine salt).
After forty days, the body could be wrapped. The cranium was filled with resin-soaked linens and the torso with packets of sawdust and myrrh. Several layers of linens were used for wrapping, with protective amulets placed between them. Once the mummification process was complete, religious ceremonies (such as the Opening of the Mouth) was performed. Religious texts (including the Book of the Dead) were placed with the body to aid the deceased in the afterlife. |