The mummification process continues to be somewhat of a
mystery. There were no texts or books left behind to give an insight
into the process. Instead, we have relied on few depictions and
fragments of papyrus to help understand how the process was
completed. More information is gathered through the examination of
the mummies themselves and the great Greek historian Herodotus.
It is important to note that the mummification process varied depending on the financial status of the person being mummified and the time period of the mummy. According to Herodotus, there were three methods of mummification that were broken up into classes; wealthy, middle, and poor. The wealthy citizens had the most lavish mummification performed while the middle class had a downgraded version of the wealthy. The poor citizens were done minimally—enough to preserve the body.
The mummification process evolved throughout Ancient Egypt. Early mummification was simple. The body was placed into a pit and the heat from the desert quickly dehydrated moist flesh. This in turn preserved the body. As the Egyptians fine tuned the process they eventually started removing the internal organs such as the brain, intestine, and stomach. These organs quickly decomposed and were placed inside separate jars to avoid extreme damage to the body due to decomposition.
After the death of an Egyptian, the embalmers where called by family
members and the body was taken to the ibu (the tent of
purification). The ibu, which was located on the west bank of the
Nile, is where the body would begin its process of mummification.
The first thing done was to wash the body and anoint it with sacred
oils. Once cleansed, the body was then taken to the wabet (palace of
embalming). There, it is believed according to Herodotus, a large
incision was made on the left side of the abdomen. This incision was
used for removing vital organs such as the intestines, liver, lungs
and stomach. Often times the kidneys were ignored because it was
thought they had little importance. Once removed, the organs were
wrapped and placed in canopic jars.
Along with the organs, mainly during the late Middle Kingdom or early New Kingdom, the brain was removed. To do this a large hole was punched through the ethmoid bone located just above the nostrils. A hook shaped tool was inserted into this hole and used to liquefy the brain then drained through the nose. Anything left behind was removed with “drugs” according to Herodotus.
After the body had been cleansed and the organs removed it was then ready for the next step—the dehydration process. This process remains a controversial subject due to Herodotus’s choice of words describing it. He used the word “pickle” which led many Egyptologists to believe the body was submerged in a solution of natron salt. The other method, which was tested and proved more logical, called for large amounts of natron salt to be packed around the body dry. Though we’ll never know until a document is unearthed, we can only speculate between the two methods.
After the drying process the body is then washed and all traces of
natron are removed. The cadaver is then taken to per nefer (the
house of beauty) where it is stuffed and shaped back to its normal
size. Many perfumes and oils were rubbed on the body and the open
wounds sealed with wax. Over the hot wax, a metal plate decorated
with symbols of protection sealed the incision wounds. After the
anointing was completed and the wounds sealed, molten resin was
added to cover the body. Both men and women would be colored with
ochre. The men would be colored red and the women yellow.
The wrapping process lasted fifteen to thirteen days. Family members
of the deceased would donate cloth to embalmers and in many cases,
special fine cloth with spells written upon them were used. Most of
the time, sheets of linen were used as the main wrapping material.
This process was done until the body was protected from head to foot
in linen. During the wrapping process many amulets were added
between layers to ensure a safe passage and protection.
The body was then covered with a death mask made of papyrus or linen and reinforced with plaster. Royal mummies, such as Tutankhamun’s, were made of gold and held precious and semiprecious stones that were inlaid. The mummy was then placed into its coffins and eventually its tomb.