Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead in order to preserve the body for the afterlife, believing in resurrection and life after death. The mummification process ensured the individual's survival in the afterlife by preserving the body so that the soul could reunite with it.
The Egyptians believed that in order to fully enjoy eternal life, the soul of the deceased needed to recognize and rejoin its body after death. Mummification provided this preservation of the body to facilitate reconnection. They particularly believed in the existence of several spiritual entities, such as the Ka (vital force) and the Ba (soul or personality), which required an intact body as a place of refuge or point of return after wandering in the afterlife. No preserved body, no eternal peace—suffice it to say they took this very seriously. The mummification process ultimately allowed the deceased to continue to exist in the other world while watching over their family on Earth.
The Egyptians began by removing the internal organs such as the lungs, intestines, liver, and stomach using an incision on the side of the body. Each organ was then dried, treated separately, and stored in four containers called canopic jars. The brain was extracted using a hook inserted through the nose — quite a convenient access point. The heart was left inside, deemed essential for the journey to the afterlife. After emptying the body, they completely covered it with natron, a type of natural salt that absorbed moisture. The drying process took about 40 days. Once dry, the body was filled with linen, sometimes soaked in natural resins to help maintain its shape. The deceased was finally carefully wrapped in strips of linen, which they often soaked in resin to better adhere them. The whole process took about 70 days in total, a meticulous yet effective effort to keep the body intact through the centuries.
In ancient Egypt, the body had to be preserved so that the soul (called ka) could use it in the afterlife. According to them, death was not an end but a transition to a new existence. However, without an intact body, it was impossible to fully enjoy the beyond. Mummification was specifically designed to guarantee this physical integrity, preventing the remains of the deceased from turning to dust. The Egyptians also believed that the soul could periodically return to visit its body after death. Hence the interest in providing it with a welcoming, intact, and identifiable "home." Even the facial features of mummies were carefully preserved so that the spirits could recognize themselves and find their way in the other world.
When someone died in ancient Egypt, a series of rituals automatically accompanied the mummification. Priests wearing masks representing gods, such as that of Anubis with a jackal head, oversaw the entire process. An essential ceremony was the opening of the mouth: using special tools, the priests touched the mouth of the mummy. Why? Simply to restore to the deceased the ability to eat, speak, and breathe in the afterlife (which is quite practical). The body was surrounded by protective amulets, placed under the wrappings to serve as a good luck charm in the other world. Sacred formulas from the famous Book of the Dead also accompanied the deceased. The funeral procession then took the mummy to the tomb, accompanied by professional mourners paid to express the grief of the relatives loud and clear (one can never be too careful when it comes to impressing the gods of the afterlife).
At the very beginning, the Egyptians simply buried their dead in the hot desert sand, which naturally dried out the bodies and preserved them fairly well. Over time, they came up with more sophisticated methods to better preserve the corpses. Around the Old Kingdom, they began to remove certain internal organs and cover the body with natron (a type of special salt that absorbs all moisture). During the Middle Kingdom, it improved a bit more, but the great era came during the New Kingdom. There, the embalmers were at their best: brain removed through the nose, body carefully emptied, each organ placed in jars called canopic jars, and maximum use of scented oils and resins. In the late period, mummification became more accessible to more people, leading to necessarily cheaper and quicker methods, on a limited budget. Towards the end of Egyptian civilization, with the influence of the Greeks and then the Romans, practices were simplified and gradually lost their original magic.
The mummy wrappers sometimes inserted protective amulets between the bandages, intended to shield the deceased from dangers on their journey to the afterlife.
In ancient times, mummification was an expensive practice. As a result, only the wealthy classes and nobles could generally afford a complete mummification, while less affluent individuals resorted to simplified methods.
The plant resin used to preserve body tissues emitted a distinctive odor that explorers reported as still noticeable in certain tombs, thousands of years later.
The embalming of bodies in ancient Egypt has allowed for a better understanding of certain ancient diseases today, providing scientists with preserved samples for modern medical studies.
Yes, various animals, including cats, ibises, crocodiles, and baboons, were mummified either to accompany their owners in the afterlife, as sacred offerings, or as symbolic references to specific deities.
The ancient Egyptians used natron, a natural mineral, to dehydrate bodies. They also employed aromatic resins, myrrh, bitumen, and scented oils to prevent decomposition, protect the body, and give it a pleasant smell.
No, complete mummification was generally reserved for the wealthiest and elite individuals, particularly pharaohs, priests, and nobles. People belonging to more modest social classes received a simplified process or were not mummified at all.
The complete process of mummification took about 70 days. This period included the extraction of internal organs, the drying and preservation of the body, and the religious rites performed before the final burial.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the seat of thought, emotions, and personality. It was to remain intact to allow the deceased to be judged in the afterlife. In contrast, other organs such as the liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach were removed to prevent decomposition and placed in specific canopic jars.
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