Mummification, Preservation to an Extreme

The earliest known mummification dates back to 3300 B.C., way before the Egyptians started preserving their dead by artificial means. Many mummies have been found all over the world that were preserved by nature. Some were frozen in ice while others were preserved by the hot sands of the desert. When Ancient Egyptians started believing in the afterlife, they started putting a person's valuables with them in the grave, then later they started preserving the body as well.

Ancient Egyptian Mummification began with wrapping the body with resin soaked linen cloths, paying particular attention to the face, sometimes painting it to make it more recognizable. From there, it progressed into a procedure that lasted 70 days. The procedure began in the House of Mummification where all of the organs were removed from the body except the heart and kidneys using special instruments. The removed organs were washed and mummified then placed in canopic jars. The body cavity was cleansed and stuffed. Next the body moved to the House of Purification where the body was washed with Nile water to purify it then dehydrated with natron. The skull was stuffed and the body cavity was emptied and re-stuffed. The whole body was anointed with herbs and coated with resin. The nails were tied on. Someone of high status may have malachite eyes and gold fingernails added. Next, the whole body was bandaged using natron soaked strips, amulets were sometimes incorporated into this step giving the person extra protection in the afterlife. Each procecedure performed on the body was accompanied by an embalming ritual performed by a priest. Now the body was ready for the funeral ritual and the burial.

There were four canopic jars, each one represented a son of Horus and was supposedly protected by a goddess. Each son was a guardian or protector of the navigational points-north, south, east and west. Imsety was protected by Isis, was the guardian of the south, had the head of a man and his jar held the liver. Hapy was protected by Nephthys, was the guardian of the north, had the head of a baboon and his jar held the lungs. Duamutef was protected by Neith, was the guardian of the east, had the head of the jackal and his jar held the stomach. Qebehsenuef was protected by Selket, was the guardian of the west, had the head of a falcon and his jar contained the intestines. All of these jars were buried with the mummified person.

Mummification started declining after the 21st Dynasty and lasted until around 500 A.D. It was reintroduced by an organization named Summon in 1975 using modern techniques as well as ancient methods. In 1978, Plastination was introduced as a preservation method for bodies and body parts.

Buddhist monks developed self -mummification or Sokushinbutsu over a thousand years ago. This technique took over eight years to accomplish and began with a diet of nuts and seeds then moved to a diet of pine tree roots and bark, each of these lasting 1,000 days. After that, a tea made from Urushi tree sap and water from Japanese mineral springs was added to the diet. After that, the monk entombed himself sitting in the lotus position with only a tube and a bell. When the bell no longer rang, the tomb was opened usually with a perfectly mummified monk inside.

As you can see, mummification is basically dehydration. Some of the best preserved mummies include: Ramses II, King Tut, Amenhotep II and Seti I.