Building on Why Mummify?, this lesson follows the work of the embalmers. It took place in a workshop near the cemetery, under the protection of Anubis, and was done with care and prayers.
Key idea
Embalmers removed the internal organs, dried the body with natron salt for about forty days, then anointed it and wrapped it in linen with amulets. The whole process took about seventy days.
The steps
- The body was washed.
- The brain was removed and not kept; Egyptians did not think it important.
- The internal organs (the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines) were removed through a cut in the side and preserved separately. The heart was usually left in place.
- The body was covered with natron, a natural salt from places like the Wadi Natrun, for about forty days, until it was dry.
- It was then cleaned, packed to keep its shape, and rubbed with oils and resins.
- It was wrapped in many layers of linen, with amulets placed among them and prayers said at each stage.
- The mummy was placed in its coffin, and a ceremony called the Opening of the Mouth restored its senses for the new life.
Why it works
Each step served the belief. Drying stopped decay, because decay needs water. The heart stayed because Egyptians saw it as the seat of thought and memory, needed at the judgment; the brain did not seem to matter. Oils and resins made the body fragrant and protected it. Linen and amulets wrapped it in protection. Seventy days gave time for all of it and matched the period of mourning.
Worked example: Adding up the days
Drying in natron took about 40 days, and the anointing and wrapping about 30 more. About how long did it all take?
- 40 + 30 = 70.
- Seventy days is the traditional span from death to burial.
Answer: About 70 days.
Worked example: Which organ stayed?
Why did embalmers leave the heart in the body?
- The heart was the seat of thought and memory.
- It would be weighed in the judgment.
- So it had to stay with its owner.
Answer: It was needed for the judgment.
Common mistake
Thinking the brain was kept with care. Embalmers did not keep it; Egyptians saw the heart, which was usually left in place, as the seat of thought. Quick check: the organ kept in the body is the one weighed at the judgment.