The Egyptian Process of Mummification Essay -- Ancient Egypt Egyptian

The Egyptian Process of Mummification In ancient Egyptian society, preserving a body afterwards death was animportant process necessary for entrance into an immortal existence.According to Egyptian belief the soul did not die. The soul would take theform of a bird usually a falcon and fly around in the world of the livingreturning later its dead body. The importance of preserving the body go around around the idea that the roaming soul would be able to recognizethe right body and return to it. As a moderate of this theology, Egyptiansdeveloped an effective carcass of embalming. The Egyptian embalming process was a significant and complicatedprocess performed by priests. Employing a crooked piece of iron the brainwould be removed finished the nostrils. A sharp stone was used to cut openthe body and extract the intestines. Palm wine and spices were used topurify the intestines. The chest and stomach areas would be filled withmyrrh, cinnamon, and other herbs. The body would be sewn up and immersedin natron for seventy days. After the seventy days the body would bewashed and clothed in linen from head to foot bound by a gum like substance. Upon completion of this procedure the body would now be energetic for burial. Egyptians used other methods of embalment. One method attributed to thelower class was to bury the body in the desert sand for a lengthy period oftime. The result of this method dried the skin of the body into a leatheryshell. Arab historian Abdel el Latif discovered on one of his expeditionsa rather unorthodox method of embalment. Latif and his team came across ajar filled with honey. During a lunch break Latif and his party indulgedin the jar of honey until hair... ...ns were stuffed into theears of the mummies and along the bandages although the significance ofthis is heretofore unknown. The modern examination of mummies has enabled us to ascertain variousfacts about everyday Egyptian life. The mummy of Maat-ka-re a virginpriestess had for thousands of years been thought to have been mummifiedwith a child. Using X- ray technology the child turned out to be amummified baboon, one of her favourite pets. Examination of mummiesrevealed that Egyptians were quite short. A considerable inwardness of infantdiseases are evident in children mummies. The life expectancy according tothe mummies was around forty. Average Egyptians encountered several dentaland health obstacles. Spinal arthritis was common as were typhoid andbrucellosis. Mummies serve as a tribute to ancient Egyptian society andtheir technology.