How to mummify a body

Nick HulbertMrs. Reed

Physical Science Period 6Spring 2010

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/ancient/images/sw/king-tut-mummy-1068400-sw.jpg

Embalming1) Wash the body with Palm Wine.

2) Rinse with water from the Nile River.

3) Make a small cut on the left side of the Body.

4) Remove the Internal Organs.

5) The Brain is removed by inserting a long hook into the Nose.

6) The body is Covered and Stuffed with natron.

7) Wait 40 days for the body to dry.

8) When Dry, wash the body with water from the Nile River.

9) Cover the body with sweet smelling oils.

10) Stuff the body with dry things, such as Saw Dust, Leaves or Linen.

11) Cover the body with more oils

12) The organs are put into canopic jars.

Wrapping the Body• 1) Start with the head and Neck.• 2) Then wrap the Fingers and Toes.• 3) Wrap the Arm and Legs.• 4) The sacred amulets are placed.• 5) Read spells from the book of the dead.• 6) tie the arms and legs together.• 7) Place a scroll between the hands.• 8) Wrap the full body.• 9) The body is painted with liquid resin as glue.• 10) A cloth with Osiris painted on it is wrapped around the body.• 11) A large cloth is wrapped around the body.• 12) Linen stripes are wrapped around the body to hold the cloth in place.• 13) Linen Stripes are wrapped around the body top hold the cloth in place.• 14) the mummy is put in the first coffin.• 15) The mummy is put in the second coffin.• 16) The opening of the mouth ceremony is preformed.• 17) the mummy is put in the sarcophagus.• 18) the mummy is put in the final resting place, the tomb.

• http://www.mummiesexhibition.co.uk/egyptian-mummy-picture.html

Afterlife

• Many Egyptians believed that when someone died, the spirit would go to the afterlife.

• Usually the relatives would place food, water, and other kinds of precious belongings in the coffin for pharaohs to use in their afterlife.

• There were two different spirits, the ba and the ka. One part was the ba and the other was the ka. The ba was the body of the spirit and slept in the tomb. If the body was destroyed, the ba would go with it. The ba also knew where its body was by looking at the masks. The spirit of the ka stayed in the body permanently, and it was recognized as a bird-headed figure. After you died, your heart would be weighed against the feather of truth.

Rituals, Charms, and Spells • The priest would chant rituals and give trinkets and charms in the tomb to give him

good luck on the trial. One charm was a scarab or a winged scarab. It was the nickname of the dung beetle. Also, another charm was a ankh. An ankh symbolized life and prosperity. Other symbols are the steps leading to Osiris, a lotus plant, Horus' eye, and the shen.

• Hymns and prayers or spells were found in the Book of the Dead. One thing in the book was a trial in which the soul meets the jury of the dead.

Facts

• The chemical which made the preservation through mummification process possible was 'Natron.' It was a naturally occurring material found in dry lake beds. Natron is a mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and common salt. On moisture exposure, Natron increases pH and leads to the creation of hostile conditions for bacterial growth. These properties made Natron the ideal embalming agent of the mummification process in Egypt.

• In ancient Egypt, mummification was an established ritual for the dead and especially the 'rich' and 'powerful' dead, but they were not the only ones who started this practice. Other civilizations in North America were also known for embalming their dead

Bibliography

• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/mummification-facts.html

• http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215615/mummification.htm

• http://library.thinkquest.org/5356/mummifying.html