Guide Note

The Ancient Egyptians preserved their loved ones' dead bodies in as life-like a manner as possible to ensure them success and good health in the afterlife. They removed all the internal organs and used a series of processes to remove moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form (the mummy) that would resist decay. The secret ritualistic process was performed by priests, using a combination of various herbs, plants and concoctions that Egyptians gathered from various far-off places.

Fast Facts

The process of mummification took approximately 70 days to complete
Ritualistic mummification began around 2600 B.C. and continued for over 2,000 years
Best preserved specimens were mummified around 1570-1075 B.C.
All organs were removed except for the heart, which was where they believed the spiritual essence resided
Many mummies were destroyed by tomb raiders
Modern scientists use X-rays to study recovered mummies without causing damage

Brief History of Mummification

Originally mummification was a natural process whereby the gutted body of the deceased was wrapped in animal skins or fiber matting and buried in or left out on the hot dry sands of the Egyptian desert.

Over time mummification became ritualized. Usually only high status Ancient Egyptians could afford to be ritually mummified and entombed in sarcophagi or pyramids. The rest of the population were buried in the desert where they would be climatically mummified.

Categories

History | Ancient Egypt

View Note History

Ancient Egyptian Mummification

Did you mean: The Mummy (1991 Film)?

The Mahalo Top 7

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Egyptian Mummies
The Field Museum: Discover Ancient Egypt
Wikipedia: Mummies Ancient Egypt - Egyptian burial rituals and protocol
HowStuffWorks: How Mummies Work
University of Michigan School of Information: Mummies of Ancient Egypt
Spurlock Museum: Egyptian Mummification
YouTube Video: Ancient Egypt: Mummifying a Pharaoh (Time: 2:08)

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Background

Australian Museum Online: Background Information: Mummification
BBC h2g2: Guide Entry: Mummies
Akhet Egyptology: Clickable Mummy
Egypt Artsite: An Egyptian Mummification
Ancient Egypt: Mummification
Mummy Tombs: Egyptian Mummies
Crystalinks: Mummification: Egyptian Mummies
SciELO: Surgical Procedures During Ancient Egyptian Mummification
UMich.edu: Mummies of Ancient Egypt
National Geographic Kids: Mummies Unmasked

Ancient Egyptian Gods & Religion

Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Life in Ancient Egypt: Gods & Religion
Museum of Science: The Egyptian Afterlife
Tour Egypt: Gods and Mythology of Anciet Egypt - Book of the Dead
AlDokkan: The Four Mummiform Gods
Ancient Egypt: Gods and Goddesses

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Images

Google Image Search: Ancient Egyptian Mummification
Yahoo! Image Search: Ancient Egyptian Mummification
History Link 101: Egyptian Mummy Photos
Emory University Carlos Museum: Mummification Practices Photos

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Videos

YouTube: Mummification (Field Museum of Natural History Exhibit) (Time: 2:46)
YouTube: Ancient Egypt: The Origin of Mummification (Time: 2:51)

Egyptian Mummies in Film

YouTube: The Mummy (1932) Trailer (Time 1:34)
YouTube: The Mummy (1959) Trailer (Time: 2:17)
YouTube: The Mummy (1999) Trailer (Time: 1:39)
YouTube: The Mummy Returns (2001) Trailer (Time: 1:52)

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Timeline

3300 BC: Earliest known "mummified" individual
3000 BC: Earliest deliberate use of mummification techniques
1077 BC - 943 BC: Advanced embalming techniques perfected; Organs preserved in Canopic jars
1817: Seti I mummy discovered
1881: Ramesses II mummy discovered
1922: Tutankhamun mummy discovered

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Blogs and Message Boards

Egyptology Online: Unraveling the Mummy Mystery
The Theban Royal Mummy Project: Online Catalog of Egyptian Mummies
Excommunicate.net: 20 Historical Uses for Mummies and Mummification
Egyptology Resources: Egyptology Bulletin Board

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Fun Stuff

Cleveland Museum of Art: CMA Kids: Egyptomania Activities
The Straight Dope: What's up with the "cocaine mummies"?
Akhet Egyptology: Cat Mummies
Mummy Tombs: Mummy Quiz

Ancient Egyptian Mummification Merchandise

Amazon.com: Ancient Egyptian Mummification Books
Barnes & Noble.com: Ancient Egyptian Mummification Books
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Inflatable Mummy

Related Searches

Book of the Dead | Tutankhamun (King Tut) | Hatshepsut | Khufu | Ancient Egyptian Mythology | History of Ancient Egypt | Akhenaten | Cleopatra VII | Nefertiti | Ramesses II | King Tut Fetuses

This page was created by Margie, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and curated by Julia.
If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!