How to Make a Mummy!
Discover how the Ancient Egyptians made mummies!
Want to make sure a body gets reunited with its spirit in the afterlife? Then join us here at National Geographic Kids as we head to Ancient Egypt to see how they made their mummies…!
1. First wash the dead body in wine and Nile water. Make a cut in the side and take out the organs. To get to the brain, shove a hook up the nose and jiggle it about. Then pull out this useless organ* and chuck it away.
2. Clean the liver, lungs, intestines and stomach, then pop them in four special canopic jars whose lids look like the gods that guard them. The heart will need to be put back in the body, though, as it’s the centre of intelligence*.
3. Use a special Egyptian salt called natron to fill up the cavities and cover up the body. This will get rid of all the moisture. Leave it for about 40 days to dry out completely.
4. Next, scoop out the natron and stuff the body with spices, rags and plants so it doesn”t lose its shape.
5. Wrap up the body in fine linen bandages. Don’t forget to tuck in some lucky amulets, and then utter spells to activate their magical protective powers. When the wrapping is all done, put the mummy in a coffin. Then put that coffin in a coffin, and that coffin in another one and so on. Then place the whole lot in a tomb.
Cool but creepy, eh?! Check out this cool clip for more about the Ancient Egyptians and how they made their mummies…
* They had some funny ideas, those Ancient Egyptians!
Illustrations: Marek Jagucki
Be sure to read our other fab features about Ancient Egypt, too…
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