Thursday, May 24, 2012

Ancient Egyptian Mummies

Ancient Egypt mummies were created with the intent of keeping the soul of the individual together for the afterlife. The procedure of mummification took a ton of time and effort. However it was done so the body would not decay in the afterlife.
Priests and Mummification:
Just priests were allowed to make ancient Egypt mummies.
Mummification priests were highly trained, and the ritual aspects of the process were just as very important as the medical methods made use of at the time.
Priests were not permitted to develop mummies in the town temples. As an alternative this ritual process had to be carried out at a Wabet, which was a very clean separated place.
Anubis:
Anubis was the god to worship doctors and healers, and during the procedure of mummification a mask of Anubis was worn by the head priest.
The Egyptians believed that Anubis would lead the priests not just in the ritual but also the surgical part of the mummification.
When ancient Egypt mummies were being produced it was important that the priest did not make any unintentional cuts during the procedure.
Preciseness and a high level of skill were called for, since the Egyptians believed if the body was scarred or ruined, the soul would not know who it was. And if this was ever to take place, the soul would be forced to wander forever.
The Mummification Procedure:
In ancient Egypt, mummies were created in a series of steps.
The first part of the mummification process began with cutting into the left section of the dead pharaoh's abdomen, where the ribs were found.
A special ritual knife was utilized to make the first cut, but after the first cut, all remaining cuts came from a normal knife.
The body organs were than removed from the mid-sections and positioned in special jars canopic jars.
These canopic jars were inscribed with spells and signs to aid the body organs journey back to the body. Only the lungs, liver, intestine, and tummy were kept.
Preserving Mummies:
Ancient Egypt mummies were preserved almost completely each time.
The process began with the brain, which was removed throught the nose of the dead pharaoh, then it was discarded.
A funnel was used to pour resin down the nostrils after the brain was taken out. This helped conserve the head form and prevent any type of collapse.
All of the body parts were kept, and either preserved to stay with the body or given away to family members.
The hearts of the ancient Egypt mummies were never taken out.
The Egyptians thought that the heart was required for Anubis to weigh in the underworld.
The heart needed to be weighed because it directed the soul to where it deserved to go.
Other Steps that Mummies Underwent:
During the final actions of the mummification procedure, spices and natron salt were used to dry out the body and body organs.
A mix of these active ingredients were jam-packed into the body and rubbed into the skin.
Ancient Egypt mummies took time to make, the whole entire process took about two and half months to finish.
Over time the body might dry into leather without decaying, and the priests would continue to rub the spices and salt all over the skin.
To find out more about Ancient Egypt, like the pyramids, and many gods and goddesses, check out my website http://www.about-ancient-egypt.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T_Tressa

No comments: