How to mummify a pharaoh: A step-by-step guide

The first step in the process of mummification was typically carried out in special workshops near the tombs or in temples.

Then, once the embalmers had the body of the deceased, they began by washing it with a mixture of sacred Nile water, palm wine, and scented oils.

This mixture cleaned away dirt and impurities, and carried religious meaning, since palm wine and scented oils were believed to purify and bless the corpse before more complicated treatments.

The next step in mummification was to remove the internal organs from the dead body.

The embalming priests knew that if this was not done, the remains would decay quickly, and the entire mummification effort would be ruined.

To achieve this, they made a small incision on the left side of the abdomen. The stomach, lungs, and intestines were carefully removed, preserved in salt or dried, and then placed in separate canopic jars decorated with the heads of the protective Four Sons of Horus.

Sometimes, the liver was preserved and then restored to the body rather than stored externally.

Specifically, the stomach went into the jar bearing the jackal-headed form of Duamutef, the lungs into the baboon-headed form of Hapy, and the intestines into the falcon-headed form of Qebehsenuef.

The liver, which was dried and wrapped, was often returned to its place within the torso rather than left in a jar.

Once all major internal organs had been removed, embalmers turned their attention to the unimportant brain for the afterlife.

They needed to remove it without damaging the skull. To do this, they typically used a long hook-shaped tool made of bronze and in later periods copper, inserted through the nasal passage to reach the skull cavity.

They broke the brain into fragments with that tool so that they could draw it out through the nose, a messy, time-consuming task.

Although this procedure sometimes left small remnants behind, the priests did not consider it a major issue since they believed the heart was the seat of intelligence and feeling.

Because the Egyptians believed that the heart was needed for judgment in the afterlife, they usually left it in place.

In later periods, however, embalmers sometimes removed the heart for a short time and preserved it with natron or resins.

Then they put it back in the chest, wrapped securely before the final wrappings.

Once organ removal and reshaping of the deceased were complete, extraction of moisture began, since any remaining water would lead to decay.

The Egyptians used natron, a salt that occurred naturally throughout Egypt, to dry the body.

Workers carried baskets of it and poured enough to cover every part of the corpse.

After full contact with natron, the body remained untouched for forty days, while the salt absorbed moisture.

When performed correctly, this drying process prevented decomposition by leaving the remains completely dry. 

After organ removal, the mostly hollow body cavity was filled with linen, sawdust or resin-soaked bandages.

This step ensured that the body’s natural shape was restored since removal of the internal organs had left it collapsed and distorted.

Next, linen bandages were wrapped in layers, with resin coatings applied between layers to seal and protect.

Amulets and protective charms might be placed among the wrappings following ritual rules.

Finally, the wrapped mummy received a funerary mask made of cartonnage and painted to look like the deceased before being placed in a decorated coffin or set of coffins.

Afterward, the Opening of the Mouth ceremony was performed to restore the deceased’s senses.

Specialised guild-member embalmers trained in temple rituals but not exclusively from the priesthood used a ritual tool to touch the mouth and eyes, symbolically allowing speech and sight for the soul.

Finally, after all mortuary rites were complete, the body was placed in a sarcophagus and buried.

Tombs were stocked with personal goods, including food, clothing and the Book of the Dead, which contained spells to guide the spirit, and were decorated with statues of the embalming god Anubis and the afterlife god Osiris.