Ancient Egyptian Mummies

1. Ancient Egyptian Mummies

2. How Mummies Began When a living thing dies its body starts to decay because of bacteria. Bacteria breaks down the tissues of things that were once living which causes decay. When a body is mummified this bacterial process does not take place. A mummy is a dead body that has been preserved. At first these dead bodies were accidentally preserved because of nature. When humans began to notice these well preserved bodies they began to find ways of preserving them themselves. Thus, the mummy was born. www.travel-budget.com

3. About seven or eight thousand years ago people began settling on the Nile River. The people of the Nile were known as Egyptians. When people died their bodies were buried within the sands of the desserts. Their bodies were forced into crouched positions and thrown into shallow graves. www.touregypt.net Egyptians strongly believed in something known as the afterlife. They believed that the spirits of the dead dwelled within the sand. Near the dead bodies, family members buried jars of water and food incase the spirit would become hungry or thirsty In the afterlife. The dry hot sand nicely preserved the bodies. The sand absorbed the bodies moisture so the bacteria could not decay the bodies. Instead of decaying, the skin dried along with most of the organs. The first mummies were created with this process by nature.

4. A mummy wrapped with linen and covered in resin When the Egyptians realized that the sand was preserving their bodies they were very pleased by this. The Egyptians began improving their grave sites. Of course a king could not be buried like the other men so kings, queens, and nobles were prepared more carefully. Royalty was left clothed and wrapped in strips of linen. Linen was easy to find because it was woven from flax which grew along the Nile. • To better preserve the bodies they poured warm resin over the bandages until they were soaked. Resin was an oily substance that came from plants grown near Egypt. The resin hardened over the body like varnish. These new royal burials did not last long. The bodies soon decayed from the inside out. The dry sand that once mummified them was shut out. Flax www.luminet.net

5. Why Egyptians Made Mummies Egyptians believed very strongly in the afterlife. They believed people had a body and a soul, once the body died the soul lived on in the afterlife. The spirit could eat, drink, and do the same kinds of things it could do when it was living but only if it had a body to live in. If a persons body was destroyed in any way the spirit might not be able to live on. www.wtv-zone.com

6. The “Ka” and the “Ba” The spirit of a dead body could take one of two forms, either the “ka”, or the “ba”. The ka was a life force, like the soul of the human, and it looked exactly like its person. If the body was not kept neatly then the ka would not live on. The ka got to go on and live life in the field of reeds for the rest of eternity. Things like, furniture, weapons, and clothing, would be used by the ka in the afterlife, so these items were placed in the tomb with the mummy. Food and drink were also provided for the ka. Ba Ka The ba was the personality of its person. It was shown as a bird with a human head that resembled the dead persons head. The ba was different from the ka, it could leave the field of reeds from time to time and was said to be able to take the shape of anything it wanted to. The ba could go right through walls and any where else it wanted to. The ba also needed a recognizable body to return to because it had to go back every night. Pictures from: www.neferchichi.com

7. Advancing Burials Egyptians could not accept the fact that death would be so final. As their kingdoms developed so did their burials and their beliefs in the afterlife. The king was believed to be a god of the earth, after he died he became a god of the heavens who would take care of his people for eternity. A kings spirit would not survive unless his body was perfectly prepared for the afterlife. Sometimes a statue would be placed in the burial chamber. The statue looked just like the deceased king, this way if the body was destroyed the spirit might be able to live on through the statue. Burial Statue www.reynier.com

8. Soon enough Egyptians began finding much better ways to create mummies. They would let the bodies dry out before burials to ensure they would last. They cut open the body and removed most of the organs. They removed the organs because that’s what was mainly keeping the bodies from drying out. They placed the organs into four separate jars. The jars resembled the four sons of Horus, they were meant to keep watch over the organs. www.ancientegypt.co.uk Horus- The god that ruled Egypt The four jars that held the organs resembling the sons of Horus

9. A powdery white salt known as natron was now used to dry out the body before burial. The body was coated inside to outside with the white salt. Drying the body took anywhere from 35-40 days. The Egyptians placed the body on a slanted table, this table was known as “The bed of mummification”. By placing the body on the slanted board the moisture was able to drip into a bucket. The body shrank smaller and smaller as the moisture left it. The body smelled so badly that it was cleaned with spices before and after it was coated. When the body was finally dried it was packed full with natron and spices. They stuffed the nose with wax, and packed the mouth with pieces of linen soaked in resin. When finished the body was covered with oil and painted with melted resin like before. The resin had a varnish like effect but unlike the first mummies the natron dried the body out so it wouldn’t decay. www.touregypt.net

10. After the resin was dry family members placed any jewelry that they thought was important on the dead body. The body was then wrapped with large pieces of linen. The name of the dead person was written on the ends of the bandages. As each layer of linen was put on more resin was poured over it. They always tried new different ways to make mummies, they even began adding stone painted eyes. Mummies became very nicely decorated, they added beautifully painted masks and wonderfully decorated coffins. For a proper royal mummification it took about 70 days. The beautifully decorated mask of a pharaoh Mummy covered with resin and wrapped in linen

11. Mummifying Animals Egyptians were so involved in mummification that they not only mummified people but they mummified animals as well. They mummified dogs, cats, apes, rams, bulls, and even a few hippopotamuses. The most common of these was the cat. Egyptians actually killed some cats when their pharaohs died so that they could be buried with them and move into the afterlife together. Mummified Dog Mummified Cat www.hohpe.com

12. The Beginning Of The Pyramids

13. Mastabas www.bbc.net www.reynier.com Egyptians decided that grave stones were no longer proper for the burial of a king. They made tombs called mastabas, also known as “The House Of Eternity”. They were made of mud bricks and had a flat roof with long sloping sides. The kings would be buried anywhere from 40-80 feet below ground. On the right is a picture of the inside burial chamber.

14. The Step Pyramid www.ancient-egypt.org As time went on Egyptians soon decided that even mastabas were no longer fit for their royalty. A step pyramid was created to replace the mastabas. It stood as high as 200 feet and the inside was nearly all solid stone. The kings burial chamber laid about 100 feet below the tomb. Mastabas were decided to be unstable, and weren’t impressive enough for a kings burial.

15. The Pyramid www.alphatours.com Over time Egyptians finally created a structure that they thought was fit for the burial of their royalty, the pyramid. Pyramids were made of limestone bricks. It took many years to build just one of these large structures, they lasted through many years of Egypt but just like everything else the pyramid too would go. Pyramids stood very high, the largest one is the Great Pyramid built for the king Khufu. The Great Pyrsmid stands over 480 feet high, and it took about twenty years to make, it is said that over 100,000 men worked on it.

16. Dead Of The Land The The Land Of The Dead Near the large pyramids the Egyptians built smaller buildings like mastabas, temples, and even small pyramids to bury people that were less importance like, royal family members, priests, nobles, and government officials. The people of Egypt lived mostly on the east coast of the Nile, this was where the sun rose every morning. Every night the Egyptians watched as the sun went down in the west so that is where they decided to build their pyramids. The west coast was known as The land of the dead. The west coast certainly didn’t look dead though, the pyramids were the most magnificent structures in all of Egypt, they attracted much attention and made the west look beautiful.

17. Rock-Cut Tombs Unfortunately over time just like everything else that was built for the dead, even the pyramid was soon thought to be a bad burial place. They were so large and so mysterious, they attracted so much attention. The thieves knew exactly what was beneath each one of the magnificent structures, and so they were robbed. Almost all the pyramids that were built were robbed at one time or another. Egypt continued to grow and the time of the great pyramids was over. Egypt became much larger, they began creating large armies and ruling different parts of Asia and Africa. They renamed their kings as pharaohs, which means “Great House”. Pharaohs were shown much more respect then kings. Instead of building pyramids they began building rock-cut tombs.

18. The rock-cut tombs tunneled deep into the rock, some were over 300 feet long. The tombs had secret passage ways, false doors, and tunnels that changed direction. It was like one big maze, so that the thieves would become confused. This new way of burial seemed like a good idea but nothing could keep out the robbers from stealing the once loved possessions of their deceased rulers. The entrance to a tomb www.pbs.org

19. Tomb Robbers No structure that was built could keep the tomb robbers from stealing the valuable treasure that lie beneath each pyramid or rock-cut tomb. The men that stole the treasure showed great disrespect for their pharaohs and cared only about their own life. It’s not that these men didn’t believe in the afterlife, I’m sure most of them did, but they wanted to ensure that they themselves would have enough money for a proper burial, rather then a king whose already had one plentiful life. Anyone that helped out in anyway with building a pyramid had enough knowledge to rob one. Robbing tombs even became a family business that was often passed down from generation to generation. The robbers must have cared nothing for the bodies of their rulers because they were destroyed. The robbers worked as fast as they could to get every piece of valuable treasure, they ripped the bandages from the mummies and even stole the jewelry placed around their dead rulers necks.

20. Punishment Any man that was caught robbing a tomb was greatly punished. A man caught might have a stake stabbed through his heart, or have his hands, nose, and ears cut off. One of the worst punishments was to be tied up by hands and feet and drug out to the desert left to starve to death unless of course either the scorching hot sun or vultures reached him first. No matter what the punishment the tombs still became robbed throughout all the years of ancient Egypt.

21. Egyptian Funerals When someone died their body was immediately shipped to the west bank to be prepared for burial. During the 70 day preparation period the family didn’t do much but mourn for their loved one. During this time the women did not care about their appearance, and the men didn’t shave until it was over. On the day of the funeral mourners were carried across the sea and up a winding hill area, they showed their sadness by crying and wailing very loudly. Servants and family members placed what ever belongings they wanted to into the tombs before they were tightly closed never to see the light again. Picture from: www.henry.k12.tn.us

22. Shabtis Shabtis were doll like figures placed in the tombs of the deceased pharaohs. It was said that inside the tomb the shabtis spirit came to life to work as a servant for the pharaoh in the afterlife. Each servant made for their deceased pharaoh at least one shabtis. The shabtis were usually made of wood, stone, or pottery. They ranged in size from just a few inches tall to over 12 inches tall. Some tombs contained only one shabtis while others contained over seven hundred. The shabtis would follow the pharaohs spirit into the Field Of Reeds and if Osiris had a task for the pharaoh he would simply send his shabtis to do it. www.qpsuccess.org.uk www.carlos.emory.edu www.carnegiemuseum.org

23. The Opening Of The Mouth Ceremony Book of the dead Before the mummy was set inside the tomb there was “The Opening Of The Mouth Ceremony” that took place. A priest would hold the mummy in an up right position while two other priests would use a small stick figure to touch the eyes, ears, and mouth of the mummy. The Egyptians believed that this would give the mummy the ability to eat, speak, and hear while in the afterlife. If you look at the background closely you can see the ceremony. The priests also buried scrolls with their dead to lead them into the afterlife. The scrolls said different charms, prayers, or spells; these scrolls were known as “books of the dead”

24. The Ceremony Of The Weighing Of The Heart This is one of the most used pictures illustrated in The Book Of The Dead. It is a picture of the weighing of the heart. It is one of the most important ceremonies to enter into the afterlife. In the picture is a scale. On one end of the scale is a feather on the other end is a heart, the heart of whomever had died. In the middle the God Anubis is adjusting the scale, behind him is Thoth, the God of writing so that he can record the result of the trial. If the persons heart is so full of evil that it is heavier then the feather he will not be able to enter into the afterlife. Anyone who has a heart heavier then the scale will be eaten by the hideous monster called Ammit standing on the opposite side of the scale. Ammit has the head of a crocodile, the forequarters of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. No live human knew the result of the trial but everyone just believed that their loved ones passed.

25. The Field Of Reeds Everyone's final hope was to go into the afterlife and enter into the Fields Of Reeds, this was a place where all the deceased would meet. They would get to talk with the Gods and have plentiful food and water for the rest of eternity. To stay in the Field Of Reeds they would have to earn it by keeping the land well harvested. This was by far one of the most important beliefs of the Egyptians, they did everything in their power to keep their deceased family members living life long after death in the afterlife.

26. The Ancient Egyptian Gods 1. Anubis- The God of mummification 2. Hapy- The God of the Nile 3. Horus- The ruler of Egypt 4. Thoth- The God of writing 5. Khunum- The creator 6. Osiris- The God of the afterlife 7. Ra- The sun God 8. Seth- The God of chaos and Jealous brother of Osiris 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Egyptians worshiped many Gods but of them these eight were the most important to them, especially Osisris, the God of the afterlife. Pictures from: www.ancientegypt.co.uk

27. The Egyptians Strong Beliefs I think that its very fascinating that the Egyptians so strongly believed in the afterlife. They created so many theories about what happened after death. They created The opening of the mouth ceremony, the ka and the ba, The weighing of the heart ceremony,the field of reeds and many more, each one has a story behind it and was created with great detail. Even the different gods that were created were amazing. They created a god for almost everything, and behind each god was a story of how they came to be. They were so interested in the life they would have after death instead of focusing on the life that they were presently in. They believed very strongly in something that no one has ever even seen, how could they be so certain that the afterlife, if there was one, would be so much more fulfilling then their present life? Maybe because they were afraid of change and even if they no longer believed in the afterlife they didn’t want to change their customs.

28. Bibliography • Internet sources: • Touregpyt.net visited: 9/7/2005 updated: January 2005 • www.touregypt.net • Crystalinks.com visited: 9/13/2005 updated: September 2005 • www.crystalinks.com • Book-house.co.uk visited:9/5/2005 updated: September 2005 • www.book-house.co.uk • Culturefocus.com visited: 9/19/2005 • www.culturefocus.com • Ancientegypt.co.uk visited:9/15/2005 updated: September 1999 • www.ancientegypt.co.uk Book Sources: • Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure Author: Lila Perl • Published: Houghton Mifflin Company 1987