In Ancient Egypt, mummification was the process in which bodies were coated in spices and wrapped in linen to preserve them and stop them decomposing.

Why did the Ancient Egyptians mummify the dead?

The Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, their spirit would live on in the afterlife. They believed that part of this spirit remained with the body. Therefore, if the body was destroyed then the spirit would be destroyed along with it. Bodies were mummified to prevent this.

Who was mummified in Ancient Egypt

Not all Ancient Egyptians were mummified. Poor people were simply buried in the sand. Only those that could afford it were mummified and buried in tombs.

How were mummies made?

1. The brain was removed by pulling it out through the nose using an iron hook. A liquid was used to clean out the bits that the hook could not reach.

2. A long slit was made in the left-hand side of the stomach. The liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were removed and dried in natron for 40 days. They were then wrapped in linen and placed into canopic jars (see below). The heart was left as this was believed to be the centre of intelligence.

3. The body was washed in palm wine. Natron was packed inside and out and it was also left for about 40 days to dry out.

4. Once the body was dry, the remaining natron was removed. The skin was then washed and rubbed with oils to make it softer.

5. The empty body was stuffed with sawdust, scraps of cloth and mud from the river Nile. Small onions were sometimes used to replace the eyes.

6. The slit was sewn up and the body was wrapped in linen bandages. These were soaked in resins and oils to glue the layers together. Sometimes jewellery and protective amulets were added to the body during this process.

7. A death mask was placed over the bandaged head so that the dead person would recognise themselves in the afterlife. These were usually made from cartonnage but wood, silver and gold were also sometimes used. The most famous death mask is that of Tutankhamun.

What were canopic jars?

After the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were removed from the body, they were dried out in natron, wrapped in linen and then placed into canopic jars. Each jar had the head of one of the sons of the god Horus.

Imsety had a human head. It was believed that he guarded the liver.

The canopic jars were put into a chest which was placed in the tomb with the mummy.

What were the Fields of Yaru?

The Ancient Egyptians believed that when they died they had to pass through a dangerous realm filled with perils such as poisonous snakes and fiery pits in order to reach the Fields of Yaru (afterlife). To ensure safe passage, the dead person would need to use the correct spells. These spells were often copied onto papyrus and buried with them in their tomb.

Before the Fields of Yaru could be entered, the dead person had to face one more test in the Hall of Ma'at (or truth). Their heart was taken as a measure of their good and bad deeds. It was weighed against Ma'at's feather, a symbol of truth. If the feather outweighed the heart then that person had lead a good life and they were presented to the god Osiris to enter the afterlife. However, if the heart weighed more than the feather then it must be laden with their evil deeds. Their heart was eaten by the demon Ammut, a creature with the head of a crocodile, middle of a lion and hindquarters of hippopotamus. This destroyed their soul.

The picture above shows the weighing of the heart of a scribe called Ani. Click on the various features to find out more.

Some of the artwork used on this site has been adapted with permission from Ancient Egypt - A Resource Center for Ancient Egypt. We have also used artwork licensed to us by Clipart.com.