The Mummification Process

The first mummies were just dried out in the desert. The ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert. The heat and dryness of the sand dehydrated the bodies quickly, creating lifelike and natural 'mummies'.

Later, the ancient Egyptians began burying their dead in coffins to protect them from wild animals in the desert..

Mummification Steps 1. Announcement of Death 2. Embalming the Body 3. Removal of Brain 4. Removal of Internal Organs 5. Drying Out Process 6. Wrapping of the Body 7. Final Procession

Step 1 Announcement of Death This first step was to let the people know that someone had died. A messenger was sent out to the streets to announce the death. This allowed people to get themselves ready for mourning period and ceremony.

Materials Used in Mummification 1. Linen 6. Natron 2. Sawdust 7. Onion 3. Lichen 8. Nile Mud 4. Beeswax 9. Linen Pads 5. Resin 10. Frankincense

Step 2 Embalming the Body The second step was taking the body to be embalmed. The embalmers were located in special tents or buildings. These buildings were called embalming workshops, and were maintained by teams of priests.

Step 3 Removal of Brain The first part of the body to be removed was the brain. Egyptians did not know the purpose of the brain, so they thought it was a waste of space. To extract the brain, a hook was inserted through the nose. The embalmers pulled out as much as they could, then put it in water to dissolve. Some people think the water was then thrown out, but others think it was taken with the mummy to the burial chamber.

Step 4 Removal of Internal Organs Next to be removed were the internal organs: the liver, the lungs, the stomach, and the intestines. A small slit was made on the left side of the abdomen, then the embalmers reached in and pulled out the organs. Each organ was individually mummified, then stored in small coffins called canopic jars. There were four canopic jars (pictured below), one for each of the organs. These jars were protected by the four sons of Horus.

Imset protected the liver. He had the head of a human. Ha'py watched over the lungs. He had the head of a baboon. Duamutef looked after the stomach. He had the head of a jackal. Qebehsenuef looked over the intestines. He had the head of a falcon.

Once the internal organs were removed, the inside of the body was washed out with palm oil, lotions, and preserving fluids. Next the body was stuffed with linen, straw, or other packing material to keep the general shape of the person. Sometimes the embalmers were careless and either stuffed too much or too little. This caused the mummy to look puffy or disfigured.

These are the mummified remains of a pharaoh named Ramses II. Also known as “Ramses the Great,” he is believed by many scholars and Egyptologists to be the pharaoh in the book of Exodus of the Bible and brother of Moses. The image on the left is an artist’s re-creation of what Ramses II may have looked like when he died.

Step 5 Drying Out Process The body was placed on a slab and covered with either nacron or natron salt. The slab was tilted so that the water would run off into a basin. This removed moisture and prevented rotting. The body was taken outside and let dry for about forty days. After the body was completely dried out, the wrapping of the body began. Step 5 Drying Out Process The body was placed on a slab and covered with either nacron or natron salt. The slab was tilted so that the water would run off into a basin. This removed moisture and prevented rotting. The body was taken outside and let dry for about forty days. After the body was completely dried out, the wrapping of the body began.

Step 6 Wrapping of the Body

Wrapping the body was a painstaking process. It was anointed with oils, and a gold piece with the Eye of Horus was placed over the slit in the abdomen. Hundreds of yards of linen were used to wrap the body. Each toe and finger was wrapped separately. Charms, amulets, and inscribed pieces of papyrus were placed between each layer of bandage. Egyptians believed that these charms had magical properties that would protect the body.

The Eye of Horus, the symbol of protection, was used often. The wrapping process would be stopped once in a while so that the priests could say prayers and write on the linen. A final shroud was placed on the mummy to keep all the wrappings together. Mummia was added to the shroud to "glue" it all together. (That's where the word "mummy" comes from.) Sometimes false eyes were inserted and make-up applied. Then a painted portrait mask was placed over the mummy's head so that dead person's soul (Ka) could recognize its owner. The mummy was then placed into a painted, decorated coffin. The Eye of Horus

Step 7 Final Procession The last step of mummification was the final procession, where the family and friends of the deceased walked through the town on their way to the burial place. Mourners were paid to cry so that the gods of the other world would see that the person was well loved. The more people who cried, the more he was loved, and the better chance he had of going to the after world. Before the mummy was taken inside the tomb, a ceremony called "Opening of the Mouth" took place.

Priests protected your KA, or soul-spirit

The Opening of the Mouth was performed by priests outside the burial chamber. Opening of the Mouth

These are the mummified remains of a pharaoh named Ramses II. Also known as “Ramses the Great,” he is believed by many scholars and Egyptologists to be the pharaoh in the book of Exodus of the Bible and brother of Moses. The image on the left is an artist’s re-creation of what Ramses II may have looked like when he died.

The family of the mummy recited spells while priests used special instruments to touch different parts of the mummy's face. The Egyptians believed that the mummy could not eat, see, hear, or move in the afterlife if the ceremony did not take place. After the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, the dead would be able to eat, breathe, see, hear, etc. in the afterlife. The mummy was then laid in the burial chamber along with his belongings, the canopic jars, and the Book of the Dead. Then the tomb was sealed.

The Book of the Dead The Book of the Dead was intended to assist the deceased in the afterlife and comprised a collection of hymns, spells and instructions to allow the deceased to pass through obstacles in the afterlife. The Book of the Dead was most commonly written on a papyrus scroll and placed in the coffin or burial chamber of the deceased.