Egyptian Mummification By Jessica Davies APP 101

What is Mummification? Mummification is the act of preparing a body for burial by embalming and wrapping the corpse Created to help preserve body while in coffins Two step process: embalming and wrapping

Embalming Start with purification of body Use palm wine and rinse it with water from the Nile Next internal organs are removed to be dried Heart is left in body because it is the center of intelligence and feeling which is needed in afterlife Brain is removed with a long hook through the nose

Embalming (cont.) Body is covered with natron for 40 days to dry it out Then is washed with Nile water and covered with oils Internal organs are then put into four different jars called Canopic Jars Canopic Jars are to help protect internal organs for the after life

Canopic Jars

Canopic Jars(cont.)

Wrapping Head and neck are wrapped with strips of fine linen Fingers and the toes are individually wrapped Arms and legs are wrapped separately Between the layers amulets are placed to protect body in journey through the underworld. During the process, priests read spells out to ward off evil spirits

Amulets

Wrapping(cont.) Arms and legs tied together with papyrus scroll (with spells from the Book of the Dead) placed between hands More layers added and coated with liquid resin to help glue bandages together Cloth with picture of the God Osiris(God of the Underworld) on it covers the now wrapped body Finally, a large cloth is wrapped around entire mummy and then placed inside two coffins

Book of the Dead Commonly thought of as a book of death spells Actually is a book of spells that are supposed to assist in the journey of the spirit to the underworld Certain spells were chosen by loved ones to be placed on the scroll that goes in the coffin with the mummy

Final Burial Process 'Opening of the Mouth' ritual is performed which allows the spirit to eat and drink again The body and its coffin is then placed in a sarcophagus and into its final tomb Everything someone might need is then placed into tomb The body is now ready to travel to the underworld where the heart will be judged on the good deeds done on earth to determine if they receive entry for eternal life in the beautiful ‘Field of Reeds’