Concept in Definition ABC

The word mummy comes from the Arabic word "mum" and means bitumen. The use of this substance was highly valued among the ancient Egyptians, as it was essential for the embalming process of corpses.

Facts about the rite of mummification in ancient Egypt

Mummification was a very expensive process and was not available to everyone. population. When a person died, they were taken to the House of Purification and there the priests took responsibility for the corpse.

After removing the clothes and washing the body, they laid the corpse on a stone table. They then inserted a wire through the nose and proceeded to extraction of the brain. In a next step, an incision was made in the belly and from there the viscera of the body (the heart was not extracted because it was considered that in this organ were deposited the emotions human). Subsequently, the corpse was placed in a vat and covered with soda for forty days to completely dehydrate it.

The process continued with the washing of the thoracic and abdominal cavity and then the whole body was smeared with different substances (cumin, balsams, gum arabic ...).

On the other hand, the eyes were extracted and glass paste was introduced into the eye sockets. So that the skin did not deteriorate over time, a layer of bitumen was applied throughout the body and finally a complicated bandaging procedure was carried out. Some mummies were ornamented with masks.

After this process, the mummified body was deposited in a sarcophagus and then the priests took it to the necropolis for final burial. In the burial ritual the priest addressed the deceased telling him that he was destined to achieve eternal life.

When the civilization From ancient Egypt it was dominated by Greeks and Romans began the decline of the ritual of mummification. The definitive disappearance of this tradition took place when the religion Christian.

Valuable information for science

The study of mummies is not only of archaeological interest and cultural, but also incorporates an obvious scientific interest. Samples of DNA found in mummies provide valuable information on very diverse issues: how to the ancient Egyptians fed, what were their physical characteristics or what diseases were the most frequent. On the other hand, science makes it possible to decipher the existing genetic links with the current peoples of the Mediterranean.

CT scans of the mummified remains are studied by multidisciplinary teams made up of forensic doctors, Egyptologists and archaeologists.

Photo: Fotolia - lukytoky