Art Resource - ART200518

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Linen bag of salt for mummification, Egyptian, New Kingdom, c1550-c1070 BC. In its most developed form, the mummification process took seventy-two days. To prevent the body from decaying, the internal organs were removed. The brain was not regarded as important, and was thrown away. The heart, considered to be the seat of wisdom and personality, was left in its place. The lungs, liver, stomach and intestines were removed for separate mummification. The body was then rinsed with sweet oils, and packed with rags and sawdust to retain its shape. Bags of salt or natron aided the drying process. More natron was piled on and around the body. After the desiccation (drying) of the body, which took forty days, the drying agents and stuffing were removed, and replaced with linen wads and sawdust to recreate the recognizable shape of the body for bandaging. The soiled materials were bundled up and included in the burial, as they still contained elements of the deceased. The salt is from Deir el-Bahari.
EA, 43218

Location British Museum/London/Great Britain

Unique Identifier ART200518

Type Image

Purpose Public

Size 4000px × 2931px

Photo Credit Erich Lessing / Art Resource, NY

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