Ancient Egypt Report

In Egypt a long time ago the beliefs and civilizations were different than ours. This report is about how the beliefs about the dead changed.

Mummies could be naturally formed by either extreme cold or extreme heat and dryness, or they could be embalmed by humans. The body would be embalmed and dried out with a natural salt called natron. Natron absorbs water and kills bacteria that decomposes the body. Then the body was wrapped in hundreds of yards of linen, and amulets like the eye of Horus would be placed in the layers of linen.

They would be put in cases while big men carried the sarcophagus into the tomb. The embalmers would then have a priest wearing a mask of Anubis, the god of embalming, touch the mouth of the person's case and recite a ritual releasing the spirit, or the Ka, out of the body along with the personality of the body, the Ba.

After this ritual the embalmers would place the mummy inside the sarcophagus and have a lid placed on it. They believed that the Ka was a bird with a human head and go anywhere and take on any shape. It is said that the Ba could leave the body and fly to the heavens by night and come back to the body by day.

In my opinion learning about Egypt was one of my favorite things to learn about. I loved it so much that when I die I want to be embalmed like the Egyptians did.