Mummification

Intrudiction:

First your skin will be rubbed with oils to make it softer. Then the empty space where your organs were is filled with sawdust, rags and chaff.

The tomb goods shown below are prized by the robbers, and can make them very rich. But they are risking their lives — the penalty for tomb robbing is torture and then slow death by impalement.The tomb goods shown below are prized by the robbers, and can make them very rich. But they are risking their lives — the penalty for tomb robbing is torture and then slow death by impalement.

Ancient Egypt as we know it began about 5,000 years ago beside the River Nile in Northern Africa. The Nile floods made this land very fertile, although beyond it lay a vast area of blistering desert thought to be inhabited by demons. Ancient Egyptian history spans thirty centuries and throughout this time the country was ruled by kings called pharaohs. The people believed that the pharaoh was a living god and so it was very important to keep him happy. The pharaohs had huge monuments built for them so that they would always be remembered. Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife and thought that by saying the name of a dead person, you could make them live forever. Another way to achieve immortality was to preserve the body of a person once they had died, and wrap them up in linen bandages. This process is called mummification.   Now cast yourself back 3,000 years. You are a wealthy ancient Egyptian on the point of death and you want to make yourself immortal. To achieve this, you will have to go through the expensive and complicated process of becoming a mummy. Get ready, as you are about to...drop dead. Organ's Removed: Your liver, lungs, stomach and intestines are removed through the incision in your stomach and stored in canopic jars. Your body is washed out with palm wine and will now be soaked in natron for forty days to dry it out. Intestines are a problem as they can be very long. Once removed, soak in natron. Turn occasionally.   Get Sttufed: After forty days in natron your body is completely dried out. Your skin is shrivelled and wrinkled and you look like a piece of old leather. You really need help now, so it’s off to the per nefer, the ‘beautiful house’. First your skin will be rubbed with oils to make it softer. Then the empty space where your organs were is filled with sawdust, rags and chaff.   Other parts of your body are plumped up by pushing mud into tiny cuts in your skin. All you need now are false eyes and perhaps some false hair. You are almost looking alive again!   HANDY HINTFalse eyes can be made out of onions. As they have strong antiseptic qualities, they can also be stuffed into the body cavity.   Tomb Bound: The embalmer’s work is almost done and soon you will be a mummy. All you need now are your wrappings. It will take 15 days to wrap you up and you will need 20 layers of linen bandages. If you are sensible, you will have been saving linen for the whole of your life.   Different bandagers work in different ways – some prefer to start with the head and work their way down the body. Resin is used to glue the bandages together. Once completely wrapped in bandages, you are wrapped in two special large shrouds secured with linen strips.   HANDY HINTAll the equipment used in the mummification process should be gathered together and buried so that nobody else can use it.   Eternal Rest: Once your tomb doors are firmly closed and sealed, you may think you are ready for eternal rest. No such luck! Even before the mourners at your funeral have had time to go home, unwanted visitors are on their way – tomb robbers have started tunnelling towards you.