Mummification

The English word mummy is derived from the Medieval Latin ‘mumia’, borrowing from the Arabic word mūmiya and the Persian word mūm (wax) which meant ‘embalmed corpse’.

The earliest intact Egyptian mummy – ID #32751 – dates to approximately 3400 BC, and is currently held in the British Museum. Mummy ID #32751 was discovered to be a male and his exact date of has never been verified.  This mummy was once nicknamed ‘Ginger’ because of the colour of his hair. However, this was changed in 2004 due to the disrespect of calling him ‘Ginger’. He is now known as #32751 only. 

While the Egyptians are best known for their mummification, other cultures have also used mummification as a means of preserving their dead. These are spilt between deliberate mummification (ritual based) and natural mummification (soil or temperature based).

Deliberate mummification in other cultures can be seen in South America, specifically The Chinchorro Mummies and The Inca Mummies, the Canary Islands and in part of Italy. Whereas natural mummification occurred in such countries as China, Siberia, Iran, Italy, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greenland and Mexico.

The process of deliberate mummification was a multi stepped process and went something like this: 

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.

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. To extract the brain, a hook was inserted through the nose. The embalmers pulled out as much as they could – via the naval cavity. The brain matter was then put it in water to dissolve. Some archaeologists believe the water was then thrown out, but others theorise that 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. However, the heart was left intact. The heart was never removed from the body, because it was considered to be the centre of a person's being. Egyptians believed the gods of the underworld judged the mummy's heart, or how well she/he behaved during her/his natural life. They believe that once ‘mummied’, Maat, the goddess of truth, would bring out her scale to weigh the heart. Maat would place the mummy's heart on one side of her scale and the 'Feather of Truth' on the other. If the heart balanced the feather, the soul of the mummy was granted immortality. If the heart was heavier than the feather (if the sins outweighed the virtues), the soul was doomed to a horrible fate. If the heart was ‘doomed’ it was believed the heart was thrown to a monster called Ammit, or Devourer of the Dead. Anubis, the god of the underworld, made the final judgement, and Thoth, the scribe god, recorded it all.

To remove the other organs, a small slit was made on the left side of the abdomen so that the embalmers were able to reach in and physically remove the organs. Each of the organs was then individually mummified by being stored in little coffins called canopic jars.  Each mummy had four canopic jars, 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 and had the head of a baboon, Duamutef looked after the stomach and had the head of a jackal and Qebehsenuef looked over the intestines, he had the head of a falcon. 

Conopic Jars

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.

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 excess liquid would run off into a basin. This removed moisture and prevented rotting. The body was taken outside and let dry for anywhere between forty and seventy days. After the body was completely dried out, the body was then wrapped.

Step 6: Wrapping of the Body

Wrapping the body was a painstaking process. The body 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, and each toe and finger were wrapped separately. Charms, amulets, and inscribed pieces of papyrus were placed between each layer of bandage. The Egyptians believed that these charms had magical properties that would protect and bring luck to the body. The Eye of Horus, the symbol of protection, was used often. The wrapping process would be stopped every once in a while so that the priests could say certain 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. 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.

Step 7: Final Procession

The last step of mummification was the final procession. The final procession was 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 the "Opening of the Mouth" took place.

Opening of the Mouth

The Opening of the Mouth was performed by priests outside the burial chamber. This was one of the most important preparations. The family of the mummy recited spells while the priests used special instruments to touch different parts of the mummy's face. The Egyptians believed that the mummy would not be able to eat, see, hear, or move in the afterlife if this ceremony did not take place. The mummy was then laid in the burial chamber along with all of his belongings, the canopic jars, and the Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead was not actually a book, but a collection of over 200 magic spells written on papyrus. This book contained instructions on how to achieve eternal life. Then the tomb was sealed.

While mummification is no longer a standard death ritual, mummification is still used today.  Modern day mummification costs approximately £40,000 (or $70,000 Aus) and some have even invested in having their pets mummified as a means of preserving their pet’s memory. One such company is ‘Summon’. Information on their process, costs and procedures can be found at Summon and a recent article of their services was published here in the Daily Mail

 

Resources: 

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummy
2. http://ancientpeoples.tumblr.com/post/28698001045/a-mummy-is-a-body-human-or-animal
3. http://www.egyptartsite.com/mummy.html
4. http://www.mylearning.org/a-step-by-step-guide-to-egyptian-mummification/p-1681/
5. http://www.angelfire.com/wi/egypt/mummy2.html