How To Mummify

I was listening to the radio this morning when they mentioned the mummification process. I’ve always been intrigued by mummies – the eeriness of it all. Whilst being in London I visited the British Museum’s “Ancient Egypt” section which was absolutely amazing. Mummified humans, cats, and even alligators. And though I knew bits about mummification (from the History Geographic channel – lol), I never knew (and still don’t know) the full extent of it all.
I heard the steps on the radio, and looked it up on Wikipedia again tonight, here’s how Egyptian mummies were made – is gross, but very interesting.

Embalming
The body is washed with palm wine.
The body is rinsed with water from the Nile River.
A small cut is made in the left side of the body.
The internal organs which are the liver, lungs, small intestines, and large intestines, are removed.
The brains are removed. A long hook inserted through the nose will pull the brains out. (The Egyptians did not know what the brain was for, so they removed it.)
The body is covered and stuffed with natron. This is known as the drying stage.
Wait forty days for the body to dry.
The body will be washed with water from the Nile River.
The body is covered with sweet smelling oils.
The body is stuffed with dry things, such as sawdust, leaves, and linen.
The body is covered with more oils.
The internal organs are put into the canopic jars.

Wrapping
The head and neck are wrapped. The fingers and toes are wrapped.
The arms and legs are wrapped.
The sacred amulets are placed. The Isis knot, and the Plummet.
The spells from the book of the dead are read.
The arms and legs are tied together.
A scroll is placed between the hands of the deceased.
The full body is wrapped.
The body is painted with liquid resin as glue.
A cloth with Osiris painted on it is wrapped around the body.
A large cloth is wrapped around the body.
Linen stripes are wrapped around the body to hold the cloth in place.
The mummy is put in the first coffin.
The mummy is put in the second coffin.
The funeral is held.
The opening of the mouth ceremony is performed.
The mummy is put in the sarcophagus.
The mummy is put in its final resting place, the tomb.

Images from Travel Channel & Wikipedia