Each mummy was wrapped in 100 yards of linen strips. Priests carefully wrapped each body part in multiple layers of linen strips, often placing a mask of the person’s face under the bandages. Step 4: Wrap the Bodyįinally, they coated the corpse in warm resin and wrapped it in the fabric strips that have now become the staple of a classic Halloween costume. Then, embalmers gave the mummies a bit of a makeover, applying blush and other paints, as well as false eyes. They perfumed the body and stuffed padding under the skin to make it seem more fleshy and realistic. After the body was completely dry, the embalmers massaged the skin to make it supple. The second half of the process involved restoring the shriveled body to make it appear more lifelike. Then, 40 days later, embalmers would find a blackened and shriveled body ready for the next phase of mummification. They stuffed natron packets inside the body, covered it entirely in salt and left it to dry on an embalming table. To remove all the moisture, the embalmers used a chemical called natron, which is a naturally-derived salt with excellent drying properties, according to Scientific American. The next step was essential - they thoroughly dried out the body. Next, the body was rinsed with wine, which helped to kill bacteria. They intentionally left the heart in the body because they believed it was the source of a person’s thoughts and overall being. The body’s organs were placed in special containers called canopic jars. They would make an abdominal incision and remove the lungs, stomach, liver and intestines. Embalmers used this tool, which resembled a crochet needle, to pull the corpse’s brain through the nose. These ingredients have chemical properties that give them antibacterial effects that prevent the body from decaying.Ī standout among the ancient Egyptian tools used for mummification is the brain hook - which is just as gory as it sounds. The recipe included a plant-derived oil, such as sesame oil, a balsam-type of plant or root extract, a plant-based gum and a conifer tree resin, likely pine resin. The BBC reports that modern researchers used forensic techniques to identify the ingredients in the resin that ancient Egyptians used. It was a blend of science and ceremony, as the body was preserved and believed to be prepared for the afterlife. The entire mummification process took 70 days, according to. But how do you really mummify a human body correctly? Embalm Like an EgyptianĪncient Egyptians developed a rigorous and specific process for mummification. Many of us have looked in wonder at 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummies behind thick glass in a museum and seen the caricature of a body wrapped in strips of white cloth. Mummies became a lasting symbol of a specific place and time in history. Ancient Egyptians developed an elaborate mummification process that still influences modern embalming techniques.
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