Mummification What is the process of mummification described in detail

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Mummification is the process of preparing a body for the after-life. Egyptians believed that there was life after death. By going through this process, they believed that a person's soul would be preserved and the dead would live a happy after-life.

The process of mummification takes many days and steps. The organs were preserved, because each organ had a special protector. In the preparation of the mummy, the removal of the brain was the first step. The Egyptians thought the brain served no purpose nor did it have any significance in life; they felt all thinking was done by the heart. The brain was removed through the nose using needles with hooks or spiral ends. The brain came out in small pieces, and was very hard to remove entirely.

The process of removing organs was known as evisceration. The first step was the creating of a five-inch incision, which extended from the end of the ribs to the top of the pelvis on the left-hand side.

The next step was the removal of the stomach, liver, spleen, peritoneum, kidneys, and lungs. The bladder was left where it was. The heart was never taken out as well, and left in the same position. If it came out by accident, they would sew it back in. The Egyptians believed that the heart was the weight of judgment after death. Next, the body was washed after the evisceration. This was not a ritual, but done simply to clean the body.

Egyptian women were made into mummies as well. The womens' organs were also pulled out of the body during the process of mummification. The internal female genital organs were always removed. The external male genital organs were almost always left in the same position. Next came the process of dehydrating the human body.