Mummification was significant in the lives of the well-known Ancient Egyptians and had a large impact on the amount of knowledge they had gained on the body. The soul was thought to consist of nine separate parts: The Khat needed to exist in order for the Ka and Ba to recognize itself and be able to function properly. Mummification was practised in ancient Egypt for more than 3000 years, emerging from initial observations of buried bodies preserved by natural desiccation. The internal organs were removed in order to help preserve the corpse, but because it was believed the deceased would still need them, the viscera were placed in canopic jars to be sealed in the tomb. What was the significance for the Egyptians? A method of artificial preservation, called mummification was developed by the ancient Egyptians. To this end, the body had to be carefully prepared in order to be recognizable to the soul upon its awakening in the tomb and also later. Bibliography The Egyptians noted that the decans (a group of stars which were important in Egyptian astronomy) dipped below the horizon for seventy days before reappearing, and they hoped that, like the stars, the body could be reborn after seventy days. Although the above processes are the standard observed throughout most of Egypt's history, there were deviations in some eras. Natron: Linen cloth and natron were used as packing to replace the organs. When a person died, they were brought to the embalmers who offered three types of service. Mummification was very sacred in the lives of the Ancient Egyptians; they believed that after their life had ended on Earth they would start a long journey into the immoral afterlife. Mummies and the process of mummification had a great impact on the amount of knowledge that Egyptians had of the body. By the time of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2613-2181 BCE), mummification had become standard practice in handling the deceased and mortuary rituals grew up around death, dying, and mummification. Why was mummification used in Ancient Egypt, and why did they leave the heart in the body? The mummification process as shown in ancient Egyptian artwork. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as life-like a manner as possible. Discuss mummification. They would reference the brevity of life and how suddenly death came but also gave assurance of the eternal aspect of the soul and the confidence that the deceased would pass through the trial of the weighing of the heart in the afterlife by Osiris to pass on to paradise in the Field of Reeds. During the Old Kingdom , it was believed that only pharaohs could attain immortality. The inner organs were removed and put in Canopic jars. Shabti dolls are important indicators to modern archaeologists on the wealth and status of the individual buried in a certain tomb; the more shabti dolls, the greater the wealth. The mummification process involved removing as much moisture as possible after taking out the internal organs. Once released from the body, these different aspects would be confused and would at first need to center themselves by some familiar form. Once chosen, that level determined the kind of coffin one would be buried in, the funerary rites available, and the treatment of the body. Their religion was strong and they believed the body was a house for the soul, which in that case, the body was needed for the afterlife. Stela of Neskhons Queen of Pinezem IIby Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (CC BY-NC-SA). (Ikram, 54, citing Herodotus). ), mummification was well entrenched in Egyptian society. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/article/44/. The Chiefs of the Canopic Jars. Cite This Work For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Submitted by Joshua J. The heart, for example, was preserved in some eras, and during the Ramessid dynasties the genitals were surgically removed and placed in a special casket in the shape of the god Osiris. The whole ritual took seventy days, although the full embalming procedure itself only took forty days. Mummification wasn't a simple job, and required 70 days to finish. They are also depicted in other ornaments and works of art. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. They were considered the final resting place for the deceased and were often, as in Mesopotamia, located in or close by a family's home. The first Egyptian mummies appear in the archaeological record at approximately 3500 B.C. Around 2000 B.C., attitudes changed, however: everyone could live in the afterworld as long as the body was mummified and the proper elements were placed in the tomb. Early graves of the Badarian Period (c. 5000 BCE) contained food offerings and some grave goods, suggesting a belief in an afterlife, but the corpses were not mummified. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. There also was a chief embalmer which was a priest wearing a mask of Anubis. Painted & Gilded Mummy Case of an Unamed Womanby Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (CC BY-NC-SA). The Importance of Mummification to the Ancient Egyptians The ancient Egyptians use mummification as means to preserve a body. The shabti would perform these tasks so the soul could relax and enjoy itself. The dead person would know they had been given a cheaper service than they deserved and would not be able to peacefully go on into the afterlife; instead, they would return to make their relatives' lives miserable until the wrong was righted. Shabti Boxby Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (CC BY-NC-SA). Eternal life was only possible, though, if one's body remained intact. Blood was drained and organs removed to prevent decay, the body was again washed, and the dressing (linen wrapping) applied. Mastabas were seen not as a final resting place but as an eternal home for the body. Last modified February 14, 2017. In fact, every stage was governed by ritual which connected it to the web of mythology. Death was not the end of life to the Egyptians but simply a transition from one state to another. They also served an important religious role through their shape and decoration, which changed and developed over the whole of ancient Egyptian history. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 14 Feb 2017. ... Joann also looks at the significance of the amulets and jewellery that were placed on the mummies before they were buried. The tomb was now considered a place of transformation in which the soul would leave the body to go on to the afterlife. The unusual complex way of hieroglyphic writing shed the light on ancient Egyptian sites and scientists were interested to figure out what theses mysterious symbols refer to, and that’s how Hieroglyphic writing was a characteristic element of the ancient civilization that stimulated scientists to know more about mummification in ancient Egypt. Mummification was important because of this belief. The deceased would now be able to hear, see, and speak and was ready to continue the journey. Male Egyptian Mummy with Amuletsby Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (CC BY-NC-SA). The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul does not fully detach from the body and that in order to live well in the afterlife, the body must be preserved in the best way possible. Osiris and his sister-wife Isis were the mythical first rulers of Egypt, given the land shortly after the creation of the world. A person's name, their identity, represented their immortal soul, and this identity was linked to one's physical form. With your help we create free content that helps millions of people learn history all around the world. These graves were shallow rectangles or ovals into which a corpse was placed on its left side, often in a fetal position. Egyptians believed that the only way to do this was if the body was recognisable. It was very important to ancient Egyptian religious beliefs that the human body was preserved. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. In ancient Egypt, mummification was a means of preserving the bodies of the dead for the afterlife, through a careful process of both embalming and wrapping. The ancient Egyptians believed that mummifying a passed citizen was a proper and respectful burial. It was in ancient Egypt, however, that mummification reached its greatest elaboration. These women were known as the 'Kites of Nephthys' and would encourage people to express their grief through their own cries and lamentation. 40 Days: The body was covered with natron and placed on a tilted slab. These would include shabti dolls who, in the afterlife, could be woken to life through a spell and assume the dead person's tasks. Mummification is a result of the desire for immortality of the Egyptians. Many people in our pop culture have assumed mummies as a part of costumes for Halloween or horror movies that we had seen growing up at a young age, but what exactly is mummification? Only the heart was left inside the body as it was thought to contain the Ab aspect of the soul. Ceremony: Ceremony by 4 priests, one dressed as Anubis. The mummification process in ancient Egypt depended on the person’s wealth but was performed anyway due to its significance in the afterlife. The body was dried out by covering it with a sodium-like chemical called natron for approximately 70 days. Mummification helped someone reach the afterlife as they believed that an afterlife could only exist if there was a form the ka (soul) could repossess after death. The idea of mummifying the dead may have been suggested by how well corpses were preserved in the arid sands of the country. – The canopic vase containing the liver was protected by Imsety, with a lid that represented a human head. Mummification, practiced by the ancient Egyptians, was used to preserve the body for the purpose of keeping the soul, or “ ka ”, intact for the journey through the Afterlife. "Mummification in Ancient Egypt." The individual who had died could still see and hear, and if wronged, would be given leave by the gods for revenge. Mark, published on 14 February 2017 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Related Content Why Was Mummification Important to the Egyptians. Obviously, the best service was going to be the most expensive, but if the family could afford it and yet chose not to purchase it, they ran the risk of a haunting. The grieving family was asked to choose which service they preferred, and their answer was extremely important not only for the deceased but for themselves. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. Mummification was not merely done to protect the deceased body from decay and decomposition; rather, most ancient Egyptians practiced it—both the rich and the poor—to ensure a successful passage into the next life. Test 2 1. "Mummification in Ancient Egypt." Mark, J. J. The embalmers removed the organs from the abdomen through a long incision cut into the left side. In order to prevent a body from decomposing, it is necessary to deprive the tissues of moisture and oxygen. The following is a very brief description. Web. Mummification was very sacred in the lives of the Ancient Egyptians; they believed that after their life had ended on Earth they would start a long journey into the promiscuous afterlife. Cat Mummyby Mary Harrsch (Photographed at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, Calif.) (CC BY-NC-SA). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms.