MUMMIFICATION

Egyptians believed that everyone’s spirit had two aspects, the ba, or soul, and the ka, an invisible twin of the person. When a person died the ba and ka were released from the body and lived on in the tomb. The ba could fly out of the tomb and maintain contact with living family members of the deceased. The ka traveled back and forth from the body to the underworld. In order to achieve immortality and become an effective reborn spirit (akh) in the afterlife, the ba and the ka had to be able to recognize the body or they could not return to it. That is why the body needed to be preserved or mummified. (Before 3000 BCE, the dead were buried in simple pits in the desert sands, which dried the bodies and naturally preserved them. Once customs became more elaborate with the use of coffins and tomb chambers, bodies had to be preserved chemically.)

Chemical mummification came into use by the Egyptians around 2500 BCE, first for royalty and then for anyone who could afford it. This same method continued to be used for almost 3000 years. To preserve the body, an incision was made in the left flank of the body and four major organs were removed: the lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines. These were placed in individual canopic jars that were buried in the tomb. The brain was removed through the nose and discarded, but the heart was left in place, as it was thought to be the seat of intelligence. The corpse was then filled with linen wrapped bundles of natron, a salt found in Egypt. The outside was covered with natron as well for a period of 40 days during which time the natron absorbed any moisture contained in the body. After this phase the body was cleaned and rubbed with aromatic oils, spices and resin (a sticky substance secreted by plants). The head and body were packed with linen and other materials to fill out its shrunken appearance. The arms were crossed and the mummy’s fingernails and toenails were covered with caps of gold. The embalming cut was sewn together and the body was adorned with jewelry or protective amulets before it was wrapped in long narrow strips of linen. Magical amulets were often placed between the layers of wrapping. After twenty layers, the mummy began to take on its original body size. The linen bandages were often collected during a person’s lifetime, and could include household bed sheets and clothing. A layer of fine linen purchased especially for the mummy completed the wrappings. The bound head was then covered with a portrait mask so that the ba and ka would still be able to recognize it in case something happened to the mummy. The whole package was then wrapped in a shroud and given one last coat of resin before being placed in a nest of coffins.

The entire mummification process took 70 days, after which a long, solemn funeral procession carried the mummy and burial equipment to the tomb. An “opening of the mouth” ritual was performed by priests at this time. The mummy’s mouth was not actually opened but physical abilities, such as speaking and eating, needed for its new life in the next world, were magically restored to the deceased. The mummy was then put into the stone sarcophagus and a heavy lid placed on top with the canopic jars standing nearby. The mourners left and the tomb entrance was sealed.