Mummy History

Ancient Egypt is famous for many things; among these are the pyramids the sphinx the library at Alexandria the Pharos and mummies. While it may seem so the process of mummification did not actually begin with the Pharos. It is possible that the first mummies were actually unintentional. The earliest Egyptians dug small pits in the desert and they buried their dead in these. The heat coupled with the dry sand caused the bodies to dehydrate quickly, which created natural mummies. After a time, the ancient Egyptians started burying their dead in coffins to protect them from wild animals. However bodies in coffins decayed, unlike those buried in the desert pits. To avoid desecration of the deceased by wild animals and the natural process of decay the Egyptians, over centuries, perfected the art of preserving bodies. This practice involved embalming the bodies which entailed removal of the brain and the internal organs, with the exception of the heart, and filling the body cavity with natron (sodium carbonate) to dry out the remains. The body was then wrapped in linens to complete the mummification process.