How to make a mummy - Len Bloch | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Ancient Egyptians used a complex process involving removal of organs, natron salts, and resin to preserve bodies, resulting in remarkably well-preserved mummies.

Key Insights

• 🛟 Ancient Egyptians used a complex process to preserve bodies and evade decay, resulting in well-preserved mummies.
• 👻 Mummification allowed scientists to perform autopsies on mummies and gain insights into ancient diseases such as cardiovascular disease and tuberculosis.
• 😀 Ancient Egyptians faced air pollution, likely due to indoor fires used to bake bread.
• 👻 The removal of organs and the preservation process resulted in mummies that were not intact human bodies but allowed for DNA samples to be isolated.

Transcript

Death and taxes are famously inevitable, but what about decomposition? As anyone who's seen a mummy knows, ancient Egyptians went to a lot of trouble to evade decomposition. So, how successful were they? Living cells constantly renew themselves. Specialized enzymes decompose old structures, and the raw materials are used to build new ones. But wh... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Ancient Egyptians prevent decomposition of the brain?

Ancient Egyptians removed the brain by hammering a spike into the skull, flushing it out the nose, and pouring tree resins into the skull to prevent further decay.

Q: What were the risks associated with decaying guts?

Decaying guts contained digestive enzymes and bacteria which start eating the corpse from the inside. To prevent this, priests removed the lungs and abdominal organs first.

Q: What substance did Ancient Egyptians use to prevent decay?

They used natron, which is a naturally occurring salt mainly composed of alkaline salts like soda ash and baking soda. Natron kills bacteria, prevents the body's enzymes from working, and maintains the corpse's structure.

Q: How did Ancient Egyptians preserve the outer flesh of the mummy?

After removing the organs and treating with natron, the corpse was placed in a bed of natron for around 35 days, which preserved the outer flesh by sucking out fluids and forming hard brown clumps.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ancient Egyptians mummified bodies to avoid decomposition by removing organs and utilizing natron salts.

• Brains and internal organs were removed first, followed by the use of natron to prevent decay.

• The body was then treated with resin, wrapped in linen, and placed in nested coffins, resulting in well-preserved mummies.