Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The science behind the mummification process in ancient Egypt
The science behind the mummification process in ancient Egypt
The science behind the mummification process in ancient Egypt
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Mummy Case of Paankhenamun Works Cited Not Included The work I chose to analyze was from a wall fragment from the tomb of Ameneemhet and wife Hemet called Mummy Case of Paankhenamun, found in the Art Institute of Chicago. The case of the Mummy Paankhenamun is one of the most exquisite pieces of art produced by the Egyptian people during the time before Christ. This coffin belonged to a man named Paankhenamun, which translates to “He Lives for Amun” (Hornblower & Spawforth 74). Paankhenamun was the doorkeeper of the temple of the god Amun, a position he inherited from his father. Interestingly, X-rays reveal that the mummy case of Paankhenamun does in fact contain a mummy inside dating back to the years of c. 945 – 715 B.C. The practice of mummification was the Egyptian people’s way of preserving the spirits of the Gods/Goddesses and royalty. The idea was that when these beings came back to life, they would be preserved and well prepared for their next lives. By the time of the New Kingdom, the Egyptians already had developed techniques of mummification, which were done under a priest’s supervision (Stokstad 114), and since Paankhenamun was the priest of Amun, he was most likely was in charge of these procedures. In the ancient Egyptian culture, the belief was that there was a life force and spirit inside of the body, known as the ‘Ka’. Therefore, mummification was performed as a ritual to preserve the physical features of the body as well as to protect its inner spirit, mainly to ensure that the ‘Ka’ could recognize the body where it may dwell in the eternal life. Thus, the funerary psychology of ancient Egyptians was that death did not bring an end to living, but instead was only an escape from the physical human life and a gateway to immortal being. Due to the fact that a being’s life span was short in ancient times, people’s main hopes rested in their afterlives, where they would be with the gods (Stockstad 121). Aside from being a priest, the importance of Paankhenamun’s position was due to his association with the Amun, who was a significant god of Egyptian Thebes. Viewed as chief divinity, Amun was often equated with the famous god Zeus and he even had his own worshiping cult (Freedman, 322). Moreover, Amun was originally one of the eight gods of Hermopolis, known as the god of air. However, at the time of the New Kingdom, this ch... ... middle of paper ... ...rown, and in particularly gold. The gold color was used thoroughly, but due to ageing, it seemed to have changed shades and turned into brownish color (Freeman 321-2). An example of that could be illustrated by the face, which has a golden touch to it but is seen to be roughly all turning brown. These decorative features were also seen on other mummy coffins, such as on the coffin of Tutankhamun, found on the Valley of the Kings in Dynasty 18 (Stockstad 120-2). Tutankhamun’s case also demonstrated similar golden tones being used, which as a result of aging varnished and fainted in some areas to a darker golden- brownish and yellowish shade (Stockstad 123,125). The Mummy Case of Paankhenamun has great significant in that it provides us with very fundamental evidence from ancient history. It does not only exhibit a complex form of art, but it also demonstrates the religious practices of ancient Egyptians in association with their beliefs in life after death, as well as their great fascination with immortality. It not only teaches us about the great science of mummification, but it also provides us all with the incredible opportunity to learn about the life of an ancient person.
Egyptian culture didn’t truly begin until the third dynasty, which is grouped into a period called the Old Kingdom. Since then, it developed into a thriving culture that changed little, even with new leaders. This conveys a sense of order and cohesion that flows throughout the time of the Egyptians. I was fascinated by the continuity. Unlike the artists of today, Egyptian artists did not rebel against the conventions of their day. If the surviving art is any indication, they were content to follow the artistic practices of their time. During the New Kingdom, a painting called "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" was created. It is a depiction of a portion of the process of laying Pairy to rest. Harold Hays wrote an article called “Funerary
The grandeur with which Egyptians regarded their funerary customs does not come without explanation. They delighted in tying the occurrences of the natural world with supernatural dogma, and their burial practices exemplified this deluge of religion. A special deity was even attributed to cemeteries and embalmers: Anubis (Fiero, 46). Due to this deep sense of religion, a fixation with the afterlife developed within their culture. The Egyptian afterlife, however, is not synonymous of heave, but, rather, of The Field of Reeds, a continuation of one’s life in Egypt meant “to secure and perpetuate in the afterlife the ‘good life’ enjoyed on earth” (Mark 1; “Life in Ancient Egypt” 1). The pursuit of this sacred rest-place prompted the arousal of intricate Egyptian funeral rituals.
The coffin and mummy date back to the Ptolemaic Period, a golden age, which was from 305 to 30 B.C.E. The mummy has a painted and gilded cartonnage, whereas the coffin has painted and gessoed wood. Ta-Shery-En-Iset’s cartonnage mask and foot coverings are painted, and there are garlands on her chest. The coffin also has torus moldings, columns at the corners, and a jackal, which symbolizes the funerary god Anubis, who is painted on the lid. Ta-Shery-En-Iset was a House Mistress and daughter of another House Mistress, Ta-Imhotep. Before her own death, Ta-Imhotep created a long inscription which recorded the details of her life and how it was cut short; the inscribed memorial expressed tones of pessimism and anxiety, as opposed to other memorials at the time which were more optimistic.
The New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, from 1550 – 1070 BC, was a time of extraordinary wealth, power, and the continuation of the arts in the classic ancient Egyptian style. Characterized by the abstract and impersonal depiction of humans, along with the strength of the Egyptian Empire, the New Kingdom is considered the peak of power and prosperity in ancient Egypt. “Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su” is a piece created in this time period that was originally part of a portrait located on the top of the king’s coffin. Because the coffin would carry the king’s mummified body in his tomb, the portrait depicts the pharaoh as being prepared for the Underworld, as well as being the ideal body for the spirit of the king to flow through. The objective of the coffin’s portrait is also to convey the power of the kingdom, putting emphasis on the king’s image and the immense wealth that accompanies him. In addition to the piece’s function as a coffin, “Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su” embodies the strength and wealth of the New Kingdom through the piece’s human face, use of bright colors, and geometric detailing.
The Egyptian Process of Mummification In ancient Egyptian society, preserving a body after death was an important process necessary for entrance into an immortal existence. According to Egyptian belief, the soul did not die. The soul would take the form of a bird, usually a falcon, and fly around in the world of the living returning later its dead body. The importance of preserving the body revolved around the idea that the roaming soul would be able to recognize the right body and return to it.
As these materials have magical means, often seen in Egyptian religious beliefs, a magical mean of the ushabti followed after-life of its deceased. The figurine appears to be inscribed with a special spell that contains summons; the intent of figure is placed in the tomb to act as substitute for its deceased body. This magical figurine was detailed to respond in the
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ‘Egyptian Art’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Art. New Series, Vol. 41, No. 3, Egyptian Art (Winter, 1983-1984): pp. 1+3-56
The process of mummification began as an accident. Before they buried their dead in proper graves, the Egyptians laid their loved ones to rest in shallow pits in the desert. The sand and heat from the sun dried out the bodies which preserved them perfectly. However, when they started burying their dead in coffins, they realized that the bodies were no longer being preserved. This is when they decided to come up with their own way of preserving or “mummifying” the deceased. (“Mummification”)
Ca. 1323 BCE. Both artworks are from the same location, Thebes, but there are some differences when both works are compared. The Coffin of Tutankhamen belonged to a very young unimportant king who died at the young age of 18, and was closely related to Akhenaton. The works is much more rich in value when compared to the coffin of Tentkhonsu, it was found with rich gold jewelry and semiprecious stones. The vast differences could hint different social class rankings and also how men were superior than women during this
A common question many civilizations shared and strived to answer was about death and the afterlife. In Ancient Egypt, the lives of many citizens centered around a prosperous future in death. In fact, Ancient Egyptians believed life continued on in death. For this reason, they yearned to live justly as citizens of Egypt. If not, then the gods would deem them unworthy of entering heaven, or paradise. This was Ancient Egypt, a society seemingly obsessed with the afterlife and enriched with funeral practices. Their worship of pharaohs and gods, detailed inscriptions about mummification, and elaborate tombs influenced their constant strive towards achieving everlasting peace in the afterlife.
Tutankhamun is a well-known Pharaoh born in the Armana age, which is the 18th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. The discovery of his intact tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnavon in 1922 made him a worldwide sensation. However, the details of his life were mysterious and unknown. Howard Carter commented that, “the one outstanding feature of his life was that he died and was buried”. With in-depth research by archaeologists and Egyptologists such as Zahi Hawass, we can discover many elements surrounding the young Pharaohs life and death.
The most common ancient Egyptian burial practice is the mummification process as depicted in source B. Mummification is a ritual that embalmers performed when a pharaoh died. Source B is a photograph of the canoptic jars which are a main component of the mummification process. The first step in the mummification process is the removal and preservation of most of the internal organs, such as the lungs, the stomach, the liver and intestines. These organs are then separately embalmed and placed into canoptic jars as source B reveals. These jars were often decorated with one of the four animal-headed sons of the god Horus. Each head is believed to be the protector of each organ within the jar and is dedicated to a specific deity. The preservation of the organs is significant as they allowed the dead person to breathe and eat in the afterlife. The internal organs were then wrapped and put into either the body or put in boxes instead of sitting in jars. Canoptic jars were still placed in the tomb but they were solid or empty and provided a symbolic purpose. In Tutankhamun’s tomb the canoptic jars were discovered in a shrine that was found in the treasury room of the tomb. Source B is useful is when understanding the mummification process.
It is clear that tombs and burial rituals were a key element in the Egyptian society and their way of life as it ties into almost all things they did on a daily basis. Whatever a person’s status was when they were alive followed them into the afterlife. Food and luxury goods were buried with a person so that they could have it in the afterlife. The tombs became a person’s new house after they died. Therefore, making it as nice as possible was really important. Art work and clay models were added to a person’s tomb as material goods needed for the afterlife. They were also seen as decorations that kept the tombs looking nice. Throughout the years, Egyptian artworks on the inner parts of the tombs and on the coffins show a development in the Egyptian customs. Each new development was created to better preserve the bodies and comfort of the dead.
In 1891, Lord Carnarvon, funded an expedition led by archeologist Howard Carter. Carter was convinced that there was an undiscovered sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun buried deep within a tomb somewhere in Egypt. This expedition went on for years, and after years without any successful find of King Tutankhamun, finally in 1922, Carter and his team came across some footsteps and a doorway near another Pharaoh’s tomb. The doorway had the name Tutankhamun written across it. The men entered the tomb and started exploring the four rooms of this tomb. In the last door Carter opened, he discovered the sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun. They had discovered that the tomb had been untouched for 3,000 years. Not only was there a sarcophagus however, there were about 700 items that still lay in it’s place, untouched, among them, a couple of enormous chariots. When they
In Egyptian culture they believe that death is only the beginning, much like Christian cultures today. If you were a pharaoh or of some importance, or rich in the world you were mummified, and in your tomb would have the markings of Anubis. Anubis is the Egyptian deity of afterlife, and also, known as the guardian of the dead. Anubis was originally a god deity of the underworld, but became associated with the embalming process and funeral rituals. “he was the Guide of the dead as they made their way through the darkness of the underworld. As a patron of magic, it was believed he could foresee a person’s destiny, in this role he was the announcer of death.” (Deurer 2010) Anubis is the Greek name for the deity Inpu which is the translated word in Egypt. Anubis is depicted with the head of a jackal and the body of a man. Anubis’s head is black which represents his position as a god of the dead. Since Anubis is the guardian of the Underworld, he takes the soul of the dead before the gods to give the dead a chance to confess. At the end of the underworld, the dead was taken to the Hall of Ma’at to be judged. Anubis watched over the weighing of the scale to see that it was in the proper position while the deity Thoth recorded the r...