MUMMIES

I.                    Why Are There Mummies In Ancient Egypt?

Preserve body in a recognizable form so the Ka and Ba could return to it in the afterlife (in the West).  They loved life so much that they wanted to continue to enjoy it in the Afterlife.

II.                  Origins Of Mummies 

A.        Primitive Natural Mummies

Primarily caused by direct contact between body and hot dry sand 

B.        Predynastic Mummies (3500 BC)

1.      Wrapping in mats or skins caused decay.

2.       Covering burial with structures did the same.

3.      Hieronkopolis- first mummifications

a.       Began by wrapping hands and face in linen.

b.     Preserve organs used in eating.               

C.       Development of Mummification Techniques

1.       Clearly mummified bodies by First Dynasty, poor

2.      Techniques improved over next 1500 years.

3.       Height of technique in 18^th –21 Dynasties.

4.      Poorer quality in times from 500 BC through Roman times (200-300 AD)

III.                 General Method of Mummification 

A.        Was A Vast Industry

1.      Tombs- building and decorating

2.       Mummification-very involved and expensive, linens-oils used

3.      Burial goods-needed amulets and all the food and things of everyday life so would have them in Afterlife 

4.      Professionals involved  

B.        Techniques (specific prayers at all stages) 

1.       Preparation of the body.

a.       Removal of organs-placed in canopic jars-sometimes packed in linens and reinserted

b.      Removal of brain-taken out through nose with long thin metal tool-then resin put into brain cavity. 

2.       Drying the body. (Natron)

Best method took 40 days covered in the natron. 

3.       Preserving the body.

a.       Oils

b.     Resins

c.       Frankincense and cedar oil 

4.       Wrapping the body

a.      Linen

b.      Padding inside body for shape.

c.       Varied patterns over time help date mummies.

d.      Enclosures (amulets, jewelry, etc.)

e.       Status and money mattered-more money meant better quality mummification, materials.

f.        Pharaohs with arms crossed.

g.      Queens and princesses with one arm over chest.

h.      Others with arms by sides 

5.       Anubis-God of this process-the jackal god (jackals in

Cemeteries trying to get to the dead)

A.        Usually said to be after 70 days.

B.       Depended on status-type and size of tomb-varied from pit tomb (a deep square or rectangular hole in the ground) to rock-cut tombs in cliff walls.  Mastaba tombs built over wealthy burials.

C.        Later in multiple burial “family chapels”

D.       Large amount of material buried with the dead.

E.       “Opening of the Mouth” Ceremony-a special tool used-placed on the mouth with special prayers-so that the person could speak and eat in the Afterlife.

F.        Placed in Wooden Case, sometimes in a Sarcophagus, later just placed with family in tomb.  Later periods used highly decorated cartonnage mummy cases.

G.       Feast at the tomb.

H.        Offerings daily or on festival days depending on economic status of family.

I.          Book of the Dead, Pyramid Texts, give directions to the deceased as to how to get from the regular world into the Afterlife, with all of the prayers and the maps needed for the long journey. Papyrus text often buried with more affluent dead.

II.                  Major Areas Mummies Found

A.        Luxor area—Valley of the Kings and Tombs of the Nobles, "Theban necropolis"

B.        Saqqara/Memphis

C.        Giza

D.      Abydos-Predynastic tombs- possible "Scorpion King' tomb

E.        Alexandria-catacombs (underground)

III.                 Dating Mummies

A.        Carbon 14

B.        Types of Wrappings

C.       Type of burial and burial goods.

IV.               Things We Learn From Mummies

A.        Prevalent diseases of the time

1.      Tooth decay-ate bread ground with rocks so there was sand in the loaves, wearing down teeth

2.      Silicosis and sand pneumonicosis from breathing sand

3.       Bone diseases-arthritis and so on

4.      Parasites of same type found in Egypt today (cause stomach trouble and eye diseases mainly)

5.      Arterial diseases-had heart trouble and cholesterol problems just like we do.

B.        The general life span, usual weight and heights, nutrition, etc.

C.        Type of work done-broken bones or thickened bones show hard labor.

D.       Ancient medical care-can see surgeries done, even operated on the brain.  Set bones, even made artifical limbs, even an artificial toe!

E.        DNA testing gives racial groups, family relationships. (Dr. Scott Woodward at Brigham Young leader in field)

F.       Studied by X-ray, CAT scans-mummies in Denver studied this way.

V.                 Ways Mummies Misused in the Past

A.      Tomb Robbers-stole the things buried in the tomb.  Unwrapped  

Mummies to get the gold amulets buried with them.  Burned bodies to get to the gold also.

B.       "Urban Legend"- used for stoking steam engines

C.      "Mummy Parties"
 by the wealthy in England in the 1800s where mummies were unwrapped at parties.

                D. Ground up for medication.

                 E. Collectibles and Curiosities, Souvenirs

VI.               Ways Mummies Treated Today

A, Visit of Ramesses II "The Great" to Paris-was treated like a         

      Visiting King-with bands playing and soldiers escorting him

      And a very large procession with important government people

B.       Royal Mummy Room of Cairo Museum-mummies of several Pharaohs there-guards demand silence and very respectful behavior

C.       "The best place for a mummy is back in the ground.' Zahi Hawass. 

VII.              Possible Number of Mummies Made

A.        Made from about 3000 BC through 500 AD. Roughly.

B.       Population of Egypt stable at about 5 million throughout ancient times.

C.        Lifespan about 30 years for average person.

D.       Anyone with resources was mummified, say perhaps 50% of population.

E.       Roughly 250,000,000 mummies made in Egypt during period.