by Georgette Rizk 12 years ago
382
Mummification
The process of mummification in ancient Egypt involved various craftsmen and significantly impacted the economy. The elaborate procedures varied based on the wealth and social status of the deceased.
by Georgette Rizk 12 years ago
382
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The mummification process seems to have enlisted the services of all craftsmen of Egypt; a fact that greatly boosted the economy.
The amount of money spent and services required for mummification differed for each class of people. The rich went out of their way and spent ridiculous amounts of money to make sure their bodies are well preserved while the poor did the best they could with their limited resources.
Rich people, especially pharaohs, would have their organs removes from their bodies, dried with natron and put in canopic jars each separately. They would have their coffins plated in gold, a gold mask that represents their faces and a fake gold beard would be placed on their bandaged heads also a piece of gold would be used to cover the incision in their abdomens from which their organs were removed. Not to mention herbs, oils and perfumes were added during the process which could be very expensive.
Middle class people couldn't afford such luxuries. They also had their bodies dried in natron but their internal organs were not removed instead liquefied by chemicals inserted through the rectum.
The poor weren't that lucky their bodies were simply covered in natron until dry and then buried.
