What are Egyptian mummies and how & why were they made?
A bullet-point explainer on the Egyptian mummies and how/why they were made.
A mummy is derived from the Persian word mum (wax).
It is a dead human or animal preserved unnaturally using chemicals, extremely cold or low humidity conditions etc.
The most recognisable method of mummification comes from Egypt, which started there around 3000 BCE.
In Egypt, it was believed that death was a temporary state.
And to achieve immortality, the spirit needed a body, which can be available only if it is preserved.
There were different preservation methods, which were selected based on the wealth & status of the dead.
The best method involved washing the body with salty water.
Then the brain was removed using a metal rod inserted through the nostrils and manipulated to liquefy the brain.
This liquid was then flushed out through the nose.
Then tree resins were poured through the nostrils to clear any residue and restrict decomposition.
Through a small cut on the left side of the abdomen, the liver, intestines and other internal organs were removed, but the heart wasn’t taken out as it was believed to guide the person into the afterlife.
The organs were then put in separate jars, filled with a naturally occurring salt called natron (soda ash + baking soda).
Natron kills bacteria, which is why the body cavity (body without the organs) was also stuffed with natron and washed clean with water.
Then the corpse was covered in natron for 35-70 days, and this covering sucked out all fluids and moisture from the body.
To handle the smell of the dried body, aromatic oils and thick resins were rubbed on it and then the body was wrapped in linen and given to the family of the deceased.
The family then rested it in a series of nested coffins or stone sarcophagus (a sculpted stone coffin for the super-rich), and placed it upright against the wall.
For the middle class, the internal organs were not preserved separately; cedar oil potion, which liquefied the internal organs, was instead injected into the body, and a rectal plug was used to prevent the oil from escaping.
The body was kept in natron for up to 70 days, after which the oil containing liquefied organs was drained through the rectum, and the body was handed over to the family.
Though not close to alive bodies, mummies are still considered extraordinary because even after thousands of years, autopsies can be performed on them, and reasons for death can be determined.
As published on 2dPoint
Image courtesy of Image courtesy of Mario Sanchez Prada through Flickr
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