That’s a Wrap: Methods of Mummification

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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Lohnes, Kate" data-authors-initial="Lohnes, K." data-title="That’s a Wrap: Methods of Mummification" data-published-date="25 Jul. 2017" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/thats-a-wrap-methods-of-mummification" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal=".md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="That’s a Wrap: Methods of Mummification" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/thats-a-wrap-methods-of-mummification" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/thats-a-wrap-methods-of-mummification">https://www.britannica.com/story/thats-a-wrap-methods-of-mummification</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing font-12"> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Kate-Lohnes/9855325" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Kate Lohnes</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Kathleen Lohnes was an editorial intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2017 and 2018. She received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and creative writing in 2020 at the University of Iowa.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Kate Lohnes</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content mt-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/195995-050-71515213/mummy-man-Egyptian-Ptolemaic-name-collection-Musee.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/195995-050-71515213/mummy-man-Egyptian-Ptolemaic-name-collection-Musee.jpg?w=600&q=60" alt="This extremely well preserved Egyptian mummy is that of a man who lived during the Ptolemaic Period. His name, written hastily, can be read as either Pachery or Nenu; in the collection of the Musee du Louvre, Paris, France." data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© Sunsear7/Dreamstime.com</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/mummy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mummies</a> have been the antagonists of horror-based media since Western societies discovered them. We have to admit, dead bodies drained of fluids and wrapped in linens can be pretty bone-chilling. However, the process itself is much more than just wrapping up bodies. It involves advanced scientific understanding of human biology and often indicates complex beliefs surrounding the afterlife. Many cultures spanning the globe were practitioners of mummification, and, though it is largely a lost practice, we remain fascinated by the profound scientific knowledge of the peoples who have practiced it.</p><span class="MOD1"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The most recognizable method of mummification comes from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Egypt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ancient Egypt</a>, dating back to 3500 BCE. In this method a metal rod was first pushed through the nasal cavity to the skull. From there, the rod was manipulated in a manner that liquefied the brain tissue, which was then drained through the nose. The rest of the organs were then removed, and the hollow body was cleaned with a mixture of spices and palm wine. The soon-to-be mummy was placed in natron (naturally occurring salt) and left to dry for 40 days. After the flesh was dehydrated, the body was wrapped in layers upon layers of linen, between which priests placed amulets to aid the newly deceased in the afterlife. A top coat of resin was applied to ensure protection from moisture, and then the mummified body was placed in a coffin and sealed in a tomb. The extent of ornamentation, the style of tomb, and the care taken during the mummification process differed on the basis of the recently deceased’s social class.</p><span class="MOD2"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">You may associate all ancient mummies with the Egyptians, but the earliest evidence of embalming was actually found in the remains of the Chinchorro peoples, who resided in what is now modern-day <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Chile" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chile</a>. Unlike the Egyptians, who mummified on the basis of class, the Chinchorro exhibited an egalitarian method of preserving the dead. What’s even more interesting is that though they were mummifying 2,000 years before the Egyptians were, their methods were more advanced. The Chinchorro approach to mummification was lengthy. First a body was relieved of its skin, flesh, organs, and brain. The bones, now exposed, were then taken apart and burnt with hot ash so as to remove any liquid that would allow for decay. They were then reassembled with twigs for support. The newly formed bone-twig skeleton was bound tightly with reeds, and then the skin was reapplied to the body—supplemented with the skin of sea lions or pelicans as required. An ash paste was then painted over the body to ensure stability, and the face was covered in a clay mask. The finishing touch involved either black or ocher paint, which was applied to the entirety of the newly mummified body, most likely for reasons of conformity and equality. </p><span class="MOD3"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Oddly enough, you don’t need to die for the process of mummification to begin. Between the 11th and the 19th century, a school of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Buddhism</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Yamagata-prefecture-Japan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Yamagata</a>, Japan, called <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shingon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shingon</a> included members who practiced a method of enlightenment called <em>sokushinbutsu</em>. <em>Sokushinbutsu</em> was, in the simplest of terms, self-mummification. Monks, over a period of 3 to 10 years, followed a diet called <em>mokujikigyō</em>, or “tree eating.” During this thousand-day diet, monks ate only pine needles, nuts, roots, and buds from trees, which rid the body of fat and muscle and delay decomposition after death. After <em>mokujikigyō</em>, monks removed food from their diet completely and drank solely salt water for 100 days, which shrank their organs and further mummified them alive. When a monk felt death approaching, fellow monks would place him in a pine box at the bottom of a pit. The box would be covered in charcoal, with a small bamboo shoot through the top for air. After the monk’s death, the tomb’s airway was removed and the box was sealed. A thousand days later it was reopened and examined for evidence of bodily decay; if any was found, an exorcism was performed and the body was buried again. If not, the mummy would be enshrined. </p><span class="MOD4"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">There are various other cultures that have practiced mummification outside of the three detailed here, including populations in Africa, Hungary, and Australia, and there are even cultures and individuals that practice it today. While many of us may see mummification as the stuff of horror films, understanding how and why people practiced mummification can help us to further understand our own burial practices and those of cultures which utilized and still utilize mummification today. </p><span class="MOD5"></span><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article><div class="related-info grid"><div class="col"><div class="learn-more"><h3>Learn More About This Topic</h3><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/bog-body" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Can mummification occur naturally?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/embalming" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">What are modern methods of embalming?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cremation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Learn more about contemporary burial processes</a></li></ul></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Story","templateName":"SPOTLIGHT","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":6308,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.36"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/story-page.js?v=3.133.36' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"SPOTLIGHT","articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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