Mummies are very fascinating things. The Egyptians preserved people's bodies in many different ways depending on their religion or social status. As part of ancient Egyptian culture, they believed that when a person died, they took a journey to the afterlife. They believed that to live in the afterlife their body had to be preserved in a certain way. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A normal body begins to decompose after death. To prevent a body from decomposing, it is necessary to deprive it of moisture and remove tissue. Ancient Egyptians began using a process called mummification to preserve a corpse. This involved embalming the body and then wrapping it in thin strips of linen. In their religion it was important to preserve the corpse as if it were real and still alive. The preservatives were so successful that today we can see the mummified body after an injection and get a good idea of ​​what it looked like in life, 3,000 years ago. The mummification process took around 70 days to complete, these were the steps: The body was washed. A cut was made on the left side of the abdomen, and the internal organs - intestines, liver, lungs, stomach - were removed and stored in jars. The heart, which the ancient Egyptians believed to be intelligence, was left in the body for use in the next life. The body and internal organs were filled with natron salt for forty days to remove all moisture. The dried organs were wrapped in linen and placed in canonical vases. The body was cleansed and the dried skin anointed with oil. The body was wrapped in sawdust and rags and the open cuts sealed with wax. The body was wrapped in linen bandages. About 20 layers were used and it took 15 to 20 days. A death mask was placed over the bandages. The bandaged body was placed in a shroud (a large cloth sheet) secured with strips of linen. The body was then placed in a mummy or decorated coffin. The slaves, who cared for the pharaoh, placed and preserved the pharaoh's body in large tombs that were located in the pyramids. People provided the corpse with buckets of water and jars of food for the next life. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay They also included jewelry, gold, types of artwork, and other necessities and special/important things that Pharaoh admired. The Egyptians considered mummification a very serious task. Everything was done according to very precise measures and according to how the pharaoh wanted it at the time of their death.