Mummification Process

Mummification Process

As much as we know today about it, mummification still remains a mystery especially the chemicals used to preserve bodies for thousands of years and remain preserved until this day. A great deal of what we know about the actual process is based on the writings of early historians such as Herodotus who recorded the process during his travels to Egypt. Present-day archaeologists and other specialists have also added to this knowledge.

The mummification process took seventy days. Special priests worked as embalmers, treating and wrapping the body. Beyond knowing the correct rituals and prayers to be performed at various stages, the priests also needed a detailed knowledge of human anatomy. The first step in the process was

Although the tomb preparation usually had begun during the lifetime of the king, now there was a deadline, and craftsmen, workers, and artists worked quickly. There was much to be placed in the tomb that a person would need in the afterlife. Furniture and figurines were readied; wall paintings of religious or daily scenes were prepared; and lists of food or prayers finished.

Tutankhamen (King Tut)

Perhaps on the most knowing Kings of ancient Egypt is King Tutankhamen. King Tut is not really known for his legacy as he became king at the game of 9 and died young at the age of 19. He is rather known for being the only king whose tomb and mummy were found intact with all the treasures buried with it, untouched by tomb robbers.

In November 1922, English archaeologist Howard Carter found steps hidden in the debris in the Valley of the Kings. The steps led to an ancient sealed doorway bearing the name Tutankhamen. When Carter entered the tomb’s interior chambers, they found it virtually intact, with its treasures untouched after more than 3,000 years. Archaeologists believed that all the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, across the river from ancient Thebes, had already been cleared. The men began exploring the four rooms of the