MUMMIFICATION

In Ancient Eygpt
MUMMIFICATION
Mummification is the process that the Ancient Egyptians used to
preserve a body to the afterlife. Mummification or Embalming the body
usualy only was for the rich and powerful, usually only the Pharaoh and
their family. Acording to the ‘’ Smithsonian Institute’’, Mummification
Began around 2600 BCE. Ancient Egyptians used Mummification because
they believed in the afterlife and the Mummy was the home for the bodies
spirit. The scientific purpose of Mummification was to remove all
moisture from the body. This was to prevent rot and mould as well as to
keep the body looking ‘’As life like as possible’’
 THE MUMMIFICATION
PROCESS
The first step of mummification was to The second step of the mummification
preserve the organs. The brain, heart, lungs, process was to preserve the body. The
body was sprinkled with salt to absorb
or other internal organs were removed,
moisture. After 40 days, the salt was
separately embalmed, and placed in canopic
removed, and the body's holes were filled
jars. These jars would be decorated with the
with linen or sawdust. Then the whole
sons of the god Horus, the god of Healing.
body was wrapped, often with the
The Egyptians believed that the separation
addition of amulets, according to the
of the organs allowed the dead to eat and Australian Museum. This process lasted
breathe in the afterlife. about 70 days.
Canopic Jars
 OPENING OF THE MOUTH
The "opening of the mouth" ceremony was a ritual performed before a
person journeyed to the afterlife. During this ceremony, specific tools
were used to open the person's eyes and mouth, enabling them to eat
and see in the afterlife. Essentially, "rebirth" the person for the afterlife.
 THE JOURNEY TO THE AFTER
LIFE
The Ancient Egyptians believed that death was the greatest thing to happen to a
person and was to be treated happily. After an Ancient Egyptian died, and after the
mummification process, the body was placed in the tomb along with items they would
need in the afterlife. The Egyptians believed the journey to the afterlife was filled with
dangerous things like scorching heat and cold. Therefore, specific spells were chanted
over the coffin and sometimes inscribed on it. Upon completing the difficult journey
through the afterlife, the most impotant test was the "weighing of the heart" in the Hall
of Two Truths. The gods would place the deceased person's heart on a balance and
weigh it against a feather, which symbolized the god of justice. For the person to enter
the afterlife, their heart must be lighter that the feather. If it was heavier, the person
would be sent to be eaten by Ammit. The Papyrus of Hunefer illustrates the ceremony
of weighing the heart, with the god Anubis weighing the heart while being observed by
the hungry Ammit.
 WEIGHING OF THE HEART
After an Egyptian made the difficult journey through the afterlife,
the most important test of the journey was the `weighing of the
heart' held in the Hall of Two Truths. The Egyptians believed the
gods put the dead person's heart on a balance and weighed it
against the feather-that represented the god of justice. The heart
had to weigh less than the feather to allow the person into the
afterlife. If the heart was heavier than the feather the person
would be sent to be eaten by Ammit.
 The The Papyrus of Hunefer depicts the
weighing of the heart ceremony as the god
Anubis weighing the heart while being watched
by the hungry Ammit
 CITATIONS
ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA, E.B. (2024) MUMMIFICATION IN ANCIENT EGYPT, ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA. AVAILABLE AT:

HTTPS://WWW.BRITANNICA.COM/TOPIC/MUMMY (ACCESSED: 29 MAY 2024).

BRITISH MUSEUM, B.M.B.M. (2012) ANCIENT EGYPT, THE BRITISH MUSEUM. AVAILABLE AT:

HTTPS://WWW.BRITISHMUSEUM.ORG/LEARN/SCHOOLS/AGES-7-11/ANCIENT-EGYPT (ACCESSED: 02 JUNE 2024).

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, S.I. (NO DATE) EGYPTIAN MUMMIES, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. AVAILABLE AT:

HTTPS://WWW.SI.EDU/SPOTLIGHT/ANCIENT-

EGYPT/MUMMIES#:~:TEXT=THEY%20COULD%20THINK%20OF%20NO,THE%20SPIRIT%20MIGHT%20BE%20LOST (ACCESSED: 02

JUNE 2024).

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM, A. MUSEUM A. MUSEUM (2012) HOW WERE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS MUMMIFIED?, THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM.

AVAILABLE AT: HTTPS://AUSTRALIAN.MUSEUM/LEARN/CULTURES/INTERNATIONAL-COLLECTION/ANCIENT-EGYPTIAN/HOW-

WERE-ANCIENT-EGYPTIANS-MUMMIFIED/ (ACCESSED: 02 JUNE 2024).

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