Essay on The Egyptian Process of Mummification - 906 Words

The Egyptian Process of Mummification In ancient Egyptian society, preserving a body after death was an important process necessary for entrance into an immortal existence. According to Egyptian belief the soul did not die. The soul would take the form of a bird usually a falcon and fly around in the world of the living returning later its dead body. The importance of preserving the body revolved around the idea that the roaming soul would be able to recognize the right body and return to it. As a result of this theology, Egyptians developed an effective system of embalming. The Egyptian embalming process was a significant and complicated process performed by priests. Employing a crooked piece of iron the brain†¦show more content†¦The most well known mummies are those of Egyptian Pharaohs. The body of Tutankhamun is the most renowned fully intact mummy. Several other royal mummies have survived the centuries but they have been re-wrapped and stripped of their jewels. Re-wrapped mummies were not properly completed and were always hurried(for fear of divine retribution). The Egyptians worshipped several animals. Divine animals such as cats, jackals, hawks, and bulls were allowed the same mummification privilege as humans. Entire cemeteries were reserved for animals. The cat cemeteries were situated around Bubastis the center of worship of the cat goddess Bastet. Underground catacombs house hundreds of thousands of mummified hawks. It was common practice for visitors to the catacombs to purchase an animal mummy and dedicate it to a specific animal god in return for a favour. Nevertheless, most of these animal mummies when unwrapped contained no sacred animal, but twigs and sawdust. The manufacture of phoney mummies would hundreds of years later in the eighteen century again generate big business. The process of mummification was so esteemed that major criminals would not be executed but denied being mummified. In another case, a prince who attempted to assassinate Ramesses II was mummified alive. The wretched pose of this prince would suggest he was asphyxiated. Another suggestion, is that the prince was impaled on aShow MoreRelatedAncient Egypt : The Egyptian God Anubis Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pagesaspects of Egyptian lives, political structure, cultural achievement and art. Their religion consisted of up 2000 gods and goddess. Only some were worshiped universally throughout Egypt. They were often represented as being half human and half animal. As an example, the Egyptian god Anubis was half man and half jackal. He is associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. Egyptian religion was oriented toward people s’ attainment of immortality signified by mummification/preservationRead MoreProcedures And The Afterlife, Ancient Egypt1686 Words   |  7 Pagesstunning architecture, which has inspired cultures for thousands of years, to the mummification of the royalty and the priest. I believe that understanding this material will allow us to better understand the motivations of the people who lived through this time. It will allow us to understand what motivated these people to achieve so much in their time. It is through this study into humanities that the ancient Egyptians go from being a mysterious culture that amazes us to humans who shared many ofRead MoreAncient Egypt : The Greatest Civilization Of The Past863 Words   |  4 Pagesbefore falling to the roman’s control. Egypt is most known for its pyramids, mummies, pharaohs, and its’ polytheistic religion. 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The Field of Reeds is known to the Egyptians as A’aru, which they believed the afterlife of the eternal soulRead MoreThe Afterlife Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagesland of the Egyptians. There he looks at mummification, a death ritual in Egypt with a Greek perspective. I would like to examine the similarities and differences between the Greeks and Egypt ian death rituals through comparing their meaning of death, processes of burial, and their journey through death. Before we can look at burial rituals we first need to understand what death meant to the Egyptians and the Greeks. The Egyptians and Greeks both believed in eternal life. The Egyptians believed thatRead MoreAncient Egypt And The Egyptian Civilization902 Words   |  4 Pagesstands out is Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians were one of the very few that arose to civilization independently, and accomplished many impressive things along the way. The Egyptian civilization stretched along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeastern Africa. Religion was at the core of everything that the Egyptians were and they stood firm for what they believed in. Their religion was based on polytheism, which was the belief of many gods. The Egyptians had 2000 or more gods or goddessRead MoreThe Art of Mummification Essay1362 Words   |  6 PagesIn this occupation certain persons employ themselves regularly and inherit this as a craft. (Herodotus) Just as Herodotus recorded, mummification dates back to early 3rd millennium B.C. It may date back many years, but was not perfected till many years later to what we officially call mummification. (Dunand 27) We call it mummification and the bodies mummies because of the Persian word for bitumen, which is mummia. The reason for this name is because of the dark skin of mummies, which peopleRead MoreEssay on Mummification735 Words   |  3 PagesIt started thousands of years ago when the first Egyptian was mummified by the natural sand found in the Sahara desert. Mummification is a meth od of preservation of a dead body. By performing this procedure, it assists the deceased to reach the Afterworld. There are three main methods of mummification, each depending of the wealth of the deceased. In this essay you will discover how pharaohs and high officials were mummified. Once the person has died, he or she is taken to the ibu, also knownRead MoreMasks Of Deceased Persons : Ancient Egypt792 Words   |  4 PagesThe most important process of the funeral ceremony in ancient Egypt was the mummification of the body, which, after prayers and consecration, was put into a sarcophagus enameled and decorated with gold and gems. A special element of the rite was a sculpted mask, put on the face of the deceased. This mask was believed to strengthen the spirit of the mummy and guard the soul from evil spirits on its way to the afterworld. The best known mask is that of Tutankhamun now in the Egyptian Antiquities MuseumRead MoreEssay about Tutankhamuns Tomb935 Words   |  4 Pagesthe utmost significant archaeological discoveries of the century. The treasures found were stored in the following parts of the tomb the Antechamber Annex, and then the Burial Chamber and Treasury. The Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. The customs and beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians called for the preservation of the body and extensive provisions for the after-life which were buried with them in the tomb. These treasures were seen as a continuation of the life of the Pharaoh before his death