Throughout the history of mankind, mummies of human beings as well as animals have been found in many places around the world. Mummies can either be formed naturally or intentionally, through exposure to extreme coldness, chemicals, or high humidity, and some of them have their skins and organs preserved.
In the past, artificial mummification was not only practiced as a way to preserve a dead body; it was also a cultural ritual that was performed to ensure a good afterlife. As such, most cultures that practiced mummification had very standard procedures for the mummification of a body. After a person was declared dead, he would be taken to an embalming workshop. The removal of the brain was the first thing that the embalmers had to do, and they would insert a hook through the nose to pull out the brain. Once the brain was extracted, they would go on to remove the internal organs, which included the stomach, lungs, liver, and intestines. Then, palm oil and preservation fluid would be used to wash the inside of the body.
After the body was thoroughly washed, the embalmers would stuff it with straw or linen. Then, they would cover the body with natron salt or nacron. The body would be laid on a slanted slab, so that the water in the body could be drained off. After that, the embalmers would take the body outdoors and leave it to dry for 40 days. The next thing to do was to wrap the body. The body would be wrapped with linen, and a shroud would be used to keep the wrappings in place. Then, mummia would be applied to the shroud to preserve the shape of the mummy.
The ancient Egyptians were very skilled in the art of mummy-making, and it is believed that they had made approximately 70 million mummies over a period of 3,000 years. Mummification was a very elaborate process in ancient Egypt. Many of the Egyptian mummies were richly-decorated with amulets, charms, and costumes, and some of them had false eyes and painted masks. The mummies of Egyptian pharaohs and their family members are some of the best-preserved mummies that are in existence today.
The ancient Egyptians practice mummification because they believed that it could help the dead achieve immortality. According to their belief, the spirit of a dead person would venture into another realm during daytime, and it would return to his body at night. If the dead person’s body was preserved, he would always have a place to return to, and this enabled him to live forever.
The Egyptians believed that the mummification of every dead person was blessed by the God of Embalming, Anubis. Anubis was depicted as a man with a jackal head, and he was regarded as the funerary god and the god of the underworld, who would protect the spirits of dead people. He was also known as Imy-ut, “The One Who is in the Place of Embalming”. After a person was dead, Anubis would come to the place of embalming to wash and guard his body to ensure that he would have a good afterlife.
Even before the Egyptians practiced mummification, people from other parts of the world were already making mummies. The Chinchorro people from South America had developed advanced mummification techniques way back in 5000 BC. These people regarded mummification as a status symbol, and they mummified their dead in a sitting position. Later on, other South American cultures, such as Nazca, Chiribaya, and Inca, also practiced mummification. Evidences of mummification were also found in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia.
The most famous mummy that is in existence today is probably the mummy of King Tutankhamen, or King Tut. King Tut became the ruler of Egypt at the tender age of ten, and he passed away when he was just a teenager from causes that are still not known for certain. After a CT scan was performed on his mummy in 2005 it is believed that perhaps he died from gangrene after breaking his leg. His mummy was found in 1922 by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings.
Another famous mummy to have been buried in the Valley of the Kings is that of King Ramesses II, or Ramesses the great. He did not however remain there and was moved from his tomb after it was raided for protection. He was moved again after this. Now his mummy can be seen in the museum at Cairo. Ramesses took the throne at the age of 20 and lived into his early 90s.
Other famous mummies that have been found are the mummies of Ramesses I and Seti I.
Article written by Janice D. McDonald