Have you ever watched a movie about mummies and thought to yourself, "Why did they get in that coffin," or, "Where were they buried?" Well here is your answer! Beware that there may be some bizarre facts along with this information.
The earliest ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits at the desert. The heat and dryness dehydrated the bodies rapidly, causing life-like and natural mummies. They were buried in those type of coffins so they can be protected from wildlife in the desert. The Egyptian's way of burying people sure was different from today.
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What were they wrapped with?
Over the centuries, the Egyptians created a way of making the bodies still be able to remain "life-like". This process involved treating the bodies and wrapping them in strips of linen which is probably what you see mummies wrapped with in movies. Anyway, some bodies were preserved wet, some were frozen, and some were dried. The mummies were mostly made by drying the body. When the moisture has been removed, the source of decay has been eliminated as well. Although decaying will make the human flesh tear apart. Nasty indeed, but hey, the same happens today!
How was the body dried?
The bodies were dried using a salt called natron. The four salts that make natron are sodium carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. The sodium, carbonate, is used as a drying agent. This causes the water to draw out of the body. And at the same time the sodium, bicarbonate, to increase the pH that creates a "hostile environment" for bacteria. The climate of Egypt made it perfect for the process of mummification since it was very hot and dry. This process did use a lot of chemicals which all helped with the process itself.
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How were the mummies made?
First the body was washed and had "surgery". The organs would be removed and only the heart would be left. Then the body was filled with stuffing like a teddy bear. The body was then dried and after about 40 days the stuffing was removed and replaced with linen or sawdust. Next, the body was wrapped in strands of linen and covered in a piece of sheet called shroud. The body would then be placed in a "sarcophagus". Finally, the mummy was now ready for its journey to the "afterlife".
So what is mummification?
Mummification was pretty much "pharaoh reincarnation". This was so the Egyptians can keep their pharaoh. Now that mummification is over, mummies no longer exist except for their fossils which can be found in museums. Now you can sleep peacefully, so don't worry about it. Anyway, the pharaoh's sarcophagus can also be found in museums. Besides that, it is really interesting that the Egyptians were able to use the chemicals in a useful way. But in conclusion, mummification is just one of many parts of Ancient Egypt.