Embalming

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Ancient Egyptian Embalming
Overview
Embalming, or mummification, is the process by which ancient Egyptians preserved human bodies from decay. This practice stemmed from their religious belief in the afterlife—the body had to remain intact for the soul (composed of the "Ka" and "Ba") to return and achieve eternal life. The most elaborate mummification process took about 70 days and was performed by specially trained priests who possessed knowledge of anatomy, chemistry, and ritual prayer.
Religious Origin
The Egyptians believed death was not an end but a transition from the earthly world to the afterlife ("Field of Reeds"). The body was the home of the soul. The "Ka" (life force) remained in the tomb, while the "Ba" (personality) could travel between worlds. Without a preserved body, the soul would be lost forever.
The 70-Day Process
The complete embalming process lasted 70 days, divided into two main phases: the first 40 days for dehydration and the remaining 30 days for wrapping, anointing, and rituals.

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Step-by-Step Procedure
Step 1: Removal of the Brain: The embalmers inserted a long metal hook through the left nostril, breaking through the ethmoid bone, and pulled out the brain tissue. The brain was discarded because it was not considered important for the afterlife. Sometimes they also poured plant resins into the skull to harden and preserve it from inside.
Step 2: Removal of Internal Organs: A cut was made on the left side of the abdomen using a sharp stone (obsidian or flint). Through this incision, the embalmers removed the stomach, liver, intestines, and lungs. The heart was left inside because it was believed to be the center of intelligence, emotion, and memory. The kidneys were often left as well because of their location deep inside the body.
Step 3: Canopic Jars: The removed organs were washed, dried with natron, treated with resins and oils, and then wrapped. They were placed into four special jars called canopic jars, each protected by one of the Four Sons of Horus: Imsety (human head) protected the liver, Hapy (baboon head) – protected the lungs, Duamutef (jackal head) – protected the stomach, Qebehsenuef (falcon head) protected the intestines. Later periods sometimes returned the wrapped organs back into the body cavity, with the jars becoming purely symbolic.
Step 4: Dehydration with Natron: The body was covered completely with natron—a naturally occurring salt mixture from dry lakebeds. Packets of natron were also placed inside the body cavity. Natron absorbed all moisture, preventing bacterial growth and decay. This dehydration process lasted about 40 days. The body became dry, shrunken, but completely preserved.
Step 5: Packing and Anointing: After dehydration, the natron was removed. The body cavities were packed with linen soaked in resin, sawdust, herbs, and other materials to restore the body's natural shape. The body was then anointed with aromatic oils, resins (pine resin, myrrh, cedar oil, pistachio resin), beeswax, and animal fats. These substances had antibacterial properties and gave the body a pleasant odor. At the Saqqara embalming workshop, archaeologists found jars labeled "to make his odor pleasant".
Step 6: Wrapping: The wrapping process took about 15 days. The embalmers used hundreds of yards of linen strips. They began by wrapping each finger and toe individually, then the limbs, and finally the whole body. Between the layers of bandages, they placed amulets (protective charms) and jewelry. A Book of the Dead papyrus might be placed on the body. At key stages, warm resin was poured over the wrappings to seal them. The final layer was a large cloth shroud, secured with more linen strips.
Step 7: The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony: Before sealing the tomb, priests performed the crucial "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony. Using special ritual instruments, the priest touched the mummy's mouth, eyes, ears, and nose. This magical act restored the senses, allowing the deceased to eat, speak, see, hear, and breathe again in the afterlife.

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Three Levels of Embalming: According to the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BCE), there were three grades of mummification based on cost:
1. Expensive (costing one talent of silver ≈ 250 lbs of silver): Full process including brain removal, organ removal, natron dehydration, resin packing, and elaborate wrapping.
2. Medium (costing 22 minae ≈ 60 lbs of silver): Cedar oil was injected into the body to dissolve the internal organs, followed by natron treatment. The skin and bones remained.
3. Cheap (for the poor): The body was simply cleaned and placed in natron for 70 days, with minimal wrapping.

Animal Mummies: Ancient Egyptians also mummified animals for various purposes: as food offerings for the dead, as sacred animals representing gods (cats for Bastet, ibises for Thoth, crocodiles for Sobek), and as beloved pets. The Mummification Museum in Luxor displays crocodile, cat, and fish mummies.

Scientific Significance:The practice of mummification gave ancient Egyptians advanced knowledge of human anatomy. Through centuries of removing and handling internal organs, Egyptian physicians understood the shape, size, and position of organs. They developed surgical techniques and recognized the relationship between the heart and blood circulation. Modern CT scans of mummies continue to provide insights into ancient diseases, diet, living conditions, and burial practices.

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What Mummies Smell Like: Modern science has found a completely new way to study ancient Egyptian mummies — by smelling them. In a 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers analyzed the smell of nine Egyptian mummies in the Cairo Museum using a technique called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O). This non-invasive method captures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air around the mummies without damaging them.
The results were fascinating. Researchers identified three main scent groups: woody (coming from wooden coffins and juniper resins), spicy (from pine resin, myrrh, and frankincense), and sweet (from decomposing plant materials used in the embalming process). Surprisingly, each of the nine mummies had a slightly different smell — meaning that every embalming was unique, not a factory-line product.
Even more interesting, the chemical analysis confirmed that ancient Egyptians imported dammar and elemi resins from Southeast Asian rainforests (over 8,000 km away) to create these scents. This proves that the demand for pleasant-smelling mummies drove international trade networks long before the Silk Road existed.
But in ancient Egypt, scent was not just about preservation — it was also about social status. The pharaoh was believed to possess a divine fragrance called sTinTr (sacred smell), making him the most aromatic person in society. Fishermen, by contrast, were considered the worst-smelling because of their work environment. The wealthy elite used exotic spices like elemi and dammar resin as luxury goods to show off their wealth and power. In other words, a pleasant smell meant a higher social standing — even in death.

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Sources:
Smithsonian Institution. "Egyptian Mummies" Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Westropp, Hodder M. Handbook of Archaeology: Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman. London, 1867. (Record of Herodotus's account). Heidelberg University.
Fitzwilliam Museum. "Egyptian Funerary Literature" Passport to the Egyptian Afterlife: The Book of the Dead of Ramose.
Zesch, Stephanie, et al. "The multifaceted nature of Egyptian mummification: Paleoradiological insights into child mummies" PLoS ONE 19(12): e0316018 (2024).
State Information Service, Egypt. "The Mummification Museum" (2022).
Stockhammer, Philipp, et al. "Secrets to making mummies revealed in ancient urns" Nature (2023).

赵雯淇

Thank you for your sharing!This summary of ancient Egyptian mummification is informative and well-structured. What I found most interesting is the section on mummy scent—something people rarely think about. A 2025 study using non-invasive analysis found that mummies give off woody, spicy, and sweet smells, and each mummy has a slightly different odor, challenging the idea of a standardized embalming process. What's even more striking is that Egyptians imported resins from Southeast Asia, over 8,000 km away, just to create pleasant smells—showing that long-distance trade was driven by such needs long before the Silk Road. Also, the link between scent and social status (the pharaoh's "sacred smell" vs. fishermen's odor) adds an interesting layer: smell was not just about preservation but also about power and identity. Overall, this sensory perspective makes ancient Egyptian culture feel more tangible.