III.

Embalming Techniques

Embalming a mummy generally took about 70 days. Right after death the deceased’s body was taken to an embalming workshop, where specialists washed the body and shaved most of the body hair as an act of ritual purification. (They left only the facial hair and hair on the head.) They then made an incision along the left side of the abdomen and removed the internal organs, including the intestines, stomach, lungs, and liver. In some cases they removed the heart, but in others they left it, because it was considered to be the seat of the soul that testified on behalf of the deceased during judgment before the gods. The embalmers also broke a bone behind the nose of some bodies, which enabled them to cut the brain into small pieces and to use a hook to remove it through the nose. They then filled the skull with a thick plant-based resin or with resin-saturated sawdust.

The embalmers covered the body with powdered natron (sodium bicarbonate), which absorbed moisture and dried the body. They dried the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines separately with natron and then placed the four organs in canopic jars. Each jar had a lid sculpted in the form of a deity associated with the protection of the specific organ. Beginning in the 21st Dynasty (1070 bc-945 bc), techniques changed. The later embalmers frequently placed the bundles of dried organs back in the abdomen and chest of the mummy.

After a period of about two months, the embalmers cleaned the body and anointed it with perfumes. They could then stuff the body cavity and mouth with herbs, sawdust, or bags of linen, and insert stones or small onions under the eyelids to restore a lifelike appearance. The embalmers wrapped the body with strips of linen and covered it with a linen shroud. The bodies from the wealthiest families received special treatment, being wrapped in great amounts of costly linen that had ornate amulets with protective powers placed between its layers.

Once the embalmers completed the preparation of the mummy, they placed it in a coffin. Until about 2000 bc, these were most often rectangular boxes of stone or wood. After this date, the coffins took human shapes and were made in sets that nested one within another. In the 21st Dynasty form-fitting coffins made of a papier-mâché substance called cartonnage were popular. Some coffins were works of art decorated with scenes of the gods and inscribed with hieroglyphs that noted the name of the deceased.

On the day of the funeral, the mummy was brought to the tomb, where priests performed the Opening of the Mouth Ritual–touching the eyes, nose, and mouth of the painted coffin with a sacred tool. This ritual reactivated these senses for the afterlife. Before the tomb was sealed, family members deposited food, clothes, furniture, and dishes, which the Egyptians believed the deceased would need for eternity. Scenes of offering bearers and daily life were painted on the walls of the tomb, which provided comforting and familiar surroundings for the deceased in the afterlife. After the tombs were closed, some wealthy families hired priests to offer food to the soul of the deceased periodically. Family members visited the site during special holidays to conduct ceremonies for the deceased.