Mummies and Mummification
1. History of Mummification
The actual practice of mummification did not begin until the time of the Old Kingdom, beginning with just the kings and then eventually the practice spread to commoners. A body would be taken and nearly encased in superheated resin, then wrapped from head to toe in linens, and placed in a sarcophagus. This practice continued for over 2000 years, and the constant study in anatomy and herbal medicines by the ancient Egyptians increased the complexity and the success of the mummification. Due to the intricacies of the process, there were levels of mummification available to different social classes. An elaborate full body mummification, a simpler delay method (such as resin in the nose and ears) that were for those who could not afford full mummification. By the time of the decline of the kingdom era of Egypt, mummies were being made en masse for burial in catacombs and on battlefields. Evidently, mummification had become a part of the Egyptian burial ritual.
The Egyptians were the only culture to practice mummification as we know it today. The ancient art dates back to 2200 BC. The ancient people broke the body’s cellular structure in an attempt to preserve the body. In the hot dry sand, a body left unprotected decomposes rapidly. That is how the people noticed that a body buried in the sand would dehydrate and become desiccated. The skin and body would harden and blacken, leaving an unrecognizable form. The ancient Egyptians saw this in the dead, and comprehended that this was what happened after death. They did not believe that the body would revive in another form, and this is how mummification became a science to the ancient Egyptians. They saw in it an opportunity to retain life after death.
2. Techniques of Mummification
They also told how they came to have the custom of exaggerating the period. Am I found fault with because I mention how things were told to me, matters of which the readers will judge for themselves whether they are credible? The embalming and the way of mourning they told me, you would say the wrong were Greek technological and people might find fault with them. And that is the very time when Deucalion is said to be, and wishing to leave a memorial of the affliction to posterity, they fit state at the Oracle to what should be done. And the Oracle gave them the following reply. They were ordered to celebrate a rite to god once every year and it was to be a great mystery; they were not to make the weeping and the cries of their wades openly as then.
The ancient embalmers had different ways of preserving the dead bodies. This passage is taken from his works: “The best process is to steep the body in natron, and after the prescribed number of days, it is right to take the body out and wash it, then enshroud the body in linen cloth. The relatives taking it back would have a wooden form made to fit the body, shaped like it. And when they have this, they encase the body and the painted case is put in a hollow pillar-shaped shrine.
3. Significance of Mummies
Additionally, the remains of the mummy can be helpful in identifying genetic diseases and studying population genetics. Analysis of DNA can provide information on an individual’s predisposition to a certain disease, and can help track the history of a disease, finding out when it originated and how it was transmitted. This can be significant to researchers of modern medicine. A study of native populations in Argentina showed genetic links between the mummified remains of the people of the area and the current residents, which can help in a general understanding of population movements and the history of different regions.
Medical imaging of a mummy can reveal detailed information about the state of health of the individual when he or she was alive. CT scans can reveal a great deal of detail about diseases such as arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. They can also reveal in detail the state of preservation of the mummy. This can be keys to understanding the methods of mummification used in different cultures. CT scans recently revealed that Ötzi the Iceman, a mummy over 5000 years old, has tattoos on his body. This suggests a form of acupuncture practiced in Chalcolithic Europe.
First of all, mummies of animals and humans provide some insight into what life was like in ancient times. For example, studying the remains of a man who lived in the Andes before the Incan civilization started, scientists have concluded that he did not live in a high altitude area, but came to the location where he was found after he was about 6 years old. This was determined by studying the isotopes of the minerals in his teeth, and scientists believe that he was a human sacrifice based on the fact that no older individuals or women were found buried at the site. This information gives a glimpse into the cultural practices of pre-Incan Andean civilizations.
4. Famous Mummies in History
Mummies can be found wearing luxurious garments and intricate headdresses, and many were adorned with intricate tattoos that indicated their rank or status. Mummies were often displayed in or near the home, and many families would conduct their own private ancestor cults that involved the mummies of their relatives. However, due to the Spanish Conquests and their lethal effect of Old World diseases, saddened relatives would no longer need to have the ancestor’s spirit possession in the body for another alliance to occur in this world. This led to the end of many of the mummies’ activities and a heavy decline of mummification in Incan society.
Incan mummies are not as famous as those from Egypt, but they have made a significant impact in the field of ancient human studies. Incan mummification customs varied greatly from those of the Egyptians, though it is unknown whether the practice began before the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532. Usually, only the elite and their families were mummified, although some evidence has shown that human sacrifices were also mummified.
They changed him into a climate-controlled glass case to be certain that he would remain well preserved. However, they did not fly him first-class; rather, they sent his royal remains in the cargo hold. After a successful repair job, Ramses took a short tour of Europe before returning to Egypt in a grand parade, where he now rests in a museum in Cairo.
Ramses II, one of the ancient world’s most powerful leaders, was another of Egypt’s most famous mummies. He is celebrated for his great construction projects, including the temple at Abu Simbel. After his death, however, his mummy had an adventure of its own. Because Ramses became too frail to defend the land from invasion in his old age, his mummy was deemed a liability to Egypt and was flown to Paris in 1976 for repairs. France paid for his flight over there and bought him a passport.
King Tut, the boy pharaoh, is the most well known of ancient Egypt’s preserved rulers, and his tomb is famous for being discovered in perfect condition. The cause of Tutankhamen’s death, like many of the pharaohs, remains a mystery. However, it is believed that the stresses of his rule, as well as his severe case of malaria, are what did him in.
5. Modern Studies and Discoveries
At the same time, there has been a growth in awareness of the need for the conservation and curation of mummified remains. Egypt itself has had a renaissance in studies of its mummified past. This has included raising the profile of its mummy collections internationally, as well as developing the expertise and facilities to store, conserve, and display human remains. The problems of conservation in a hot, damp modern country have had to be confronted. This has led to concern that some mummies have been irreparably damaged or destroyed by poor storage conditions and the uncontrolled use of preservatives during past periods of archaeological excavation.
Modern studies of mummies have blossomed in the last few decades. Radiological and other advances have provided new knowledge about the condition of the mummified body, the diseases suffered, and even the processes of mummification itself. Non-destructive CT scanning and endoscopic investigation of mummies have revealed detailed evidence for the process of mummification. DNA tests on mummies have indicated the presence of the pathogen for malaria in ancient Egypt and identified the bacteria which causes tuberculosis. This has greatly added to the understanding of the disease history and pathology of mummies, providing information that was not available from the study of mummified tissue.
