Mummification

It was very important to ancient Egyptian religious beliefs that the human body was preserved. Yuck! Last week, we studied a method of preservation called mummification. Mummification was a complicated and lengthy process which could last up to 70 days! Imagine how we felt when Miss Campbell told us that we only had an hour to do this!  2. Organs were removed. Only the heart remained. 3. The body was filled with stuffing. 4. The body was dried by covering it with a substance called natron (we used salt). This substance absorbed all the moisture from the body. 5. After 40 - 50 days the stuffing was removed and replaced with linen or sawdust (40 seconds was all the time we had!). 6. The body was wrapped in strands of linen and covered in a sheet called a shroud. 7. The body was placed in a stone coffin called a sarcophagus. So, what are mummies? A mummy is the body of a person that has been preserved after death. Who were the mummies? They were any Egyptian who could afford to pay for the expensive process of preserving their bodies for the afterlife. Why did the Egyptians make mummies? The Egyptians believed in life after death. They thought that they had to preserve their bodies so they could use them during their afterlife. What is the afterlife? The Egyptians believed that when they died, they would go to another world where they would lead a new life.  How were mummies made? It took a very long time, from start to finish, it took about 70 days to embalm a body. The priest in charge would wear the mask of a jackal representing the god Anubis. 1. The body was washed and purified. The mummy was now ready for its journey to the afterlife. Here are some photographs of our own mummification process, sorry Barbie!!! You were excellent priests boys and girls! I'm sure that Barbie will be very happy as she moves onto the afterlife.