Question

Define Mummification​

Answer 1

$\huge(Answer)$

☞A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions.

Explanation:

➜Process:-

• 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 the removal of all internal parts that might decay rapidly. The brain was removed by carefully inserting special hooked instruments up through the nostrils in order to pull out bits of brain tissue. It was a delicate operation, one which could easily disfigure the face. The embalmers then removed the organs of the abdomen and chest through a cut usually made on the left side of the abdomen. They left only the heart in place, believing it to be the center of a person's being and intelligence. The other organs were preserved separately, with the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines placed in special boxes or jars today called canopic jars. These were buried with the mummy. In later mummies, the organs were treated, wrapped, and replaced within the body. Even so, unused canopic jars continued to be part of the burial ritual.

• The embalmers next removed all moisture from the body. This they did by covering the body with natron, a type of salt which has great drying properties, and by placing additional natron packets inside the body. When the body had dried out completely, embalmers removed the internal packets and lightly washed the natron off the body. The result was a very dried-out but recognizable human form. To make the mummy seem even more life-like, sunken areas of the body were filled out with linen and other materials and false eyes were added.

• Next the wrapping began. Each mummy needed hundreds of yards of linen. The priests carefully wound the long strips of linen around the body, sometimes even wrapping each finger and toe separately before wrapping the entire hand or foot. In order to protect the dead from mishap, amulets were placed among the wrappings and prayers and magical words written on some of the linen strips. Often the priests placed a mask of the person's face between the layers of head bandages. At several stages the form was coated with warm resin and the wrapping resumed once again. At last the priests wrapped the final cloth or shroud in place and secured it with linen strips. The mummy was complete.
• The priests preparing the mummy were not the only ones busy during this time. Although the tomb preparation usually had begun long before the person's actual death, 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 statuettes were readied; wall paintings of religious or daily scenes were prepared; and lists of food or prayers finished. Through a magical process, these models, pictures, and lists would become the real thing when needed in the Afterlife. Everything was now ready for the funeral.

• As part of the funeral, priests performed special religious rites at the tomb's entrance. The most important part of the ceremony was called the "Opening of the Mouth". A priest touched various parts of the mummy with a special instrument to "open" those parts of the body to the senses enjoyed in life and needed in the Afterlife. By touching the instrument to the mouth, the dead person could now speak and eat. He was now ready for his journey to the Afterlife. The mummy was placed in his coffin, or coffins, in the burial chamber and the entrance sealed up.

• Such elaborate burial practices might suggest that the Egyptians were preoccupied with thoughts of death. On the contrary, they began early to make plans for their death because of their great love of life. They could think of no life better than the present, and they wanted to be sure it would continue after death.

• But why preserve the body? The Egyptians believed that the mummified body was the home for this soul or spirit. If the body was destroyed, the spirit might be lost. The idea of "spirit" was complex involving really three spirits: the ka, ba, and akh. The ka, a "double" of the person, would remain in the tomb and needed the offerings and objects there. The ba, or "soul", was free to fly out of the tomb and return to it. And it was the akh, perhaps translated as "spirit", which had to travel through the Underworld to the Final Judgment and entrance to the Afterlife. To the Egyptian, all three were essential.

Answer 2

Answer:

$\huge{\mathfrak{\purple{Answer}{:-}}}$

A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions.

$\huge{\mathfrak{\purple{Explanation}{:-}}}$

The ancient mummification process took 70 days.

There is speculation that mummification developed in southern Egypt.

Egyptians typically removed major organs from a corpse as part of the mummification process.

The ancient Egyptian custom of mummification grew out of their theology, which placed a premium on preserving bodies for the afterlife.

Purpose

The Egyptians were very religious and like many other cultures, they believed in an afterlife. For Egyptians, this meant an arduous journey before being judged in the Hall of Two Truths by the god Osiris and having their heart weighed against the feather of truth, or Maat. A big part of that journey meant making sure their physical body was kept in good shape so that their soul could move back and forth.

The Process of Mummification

The actual process was very detailed and required the skill of an embalmer who was a priest. The members of high society, such as the pharaoh, could be ensured of quality materials. You can tell a high-ranking mummy by their wrappings which would be made of the best linen money could buy. The embalmer would take their time to be sure the process was not rushed. It is estimated that that mummification took seventy days. There were different methods, but what is termed ''classic'' mummification is usually what we think of when it comes to mummifying the dead. Right after death, the body would be washed with water from the Nile River to begin the lengthy process.

Step 1: Remove the brain. This was a delicate procedure in which a tool resembling a knitting needle would be thrust up into the left nostril where it would whisk brain matter around so it could be pulled out. Once the brain was gone, a resin would fill in the cavity so that the skull would not collapse. The resin was kept in place by plugging the nostrils with strips of linen.

Step 2: Remove internal organs. This would be the squishy stuff that could cause bacteria to grow if left intact. An incision was made on the left side, and the liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach would be pulled out. Later, these would be embalmed separately in something called canopic jars. The heart was considered very important and necessary for the afterlife, so that would stay inside the body. These practices did change over time; a mummy discovered from the first century A.D. still had lungs, but the heart was removed.

Step 3: Wash and dry. Once organs were removed the body would be washed again with water and possibly palm wine. Small bags of natron, a naturally occurring substance found in Egypt which resembles salt, was placed inside the body, and then the entire body was covered on the outside. This would be repeated at regular intervals to dry out the body.

$\huge{\mathfrak{\purple{Hope \: it \: helps \: u }{:-}}}$

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