Key Terms in Mummification: Vocabulary for Ancient Egyptian Funerary Practice
Essential terminology for understanding the mummification process in ancient Egypt:
Process Terms
- Embalming: Chemical preservation (natron, resins, oils) to prevent decay.
- Evisceration: Removal of internal organs (except heart).
- Dehydration: 40-day natron (sodium carbonate/bicarbonate) drying.
- Anointing: Application of oils, resins, perfumes.
- Wrapping: Linen bandages with amulets/interspersed resins.
- Coffining: Placement in nested coffins/sarcophagus.
Anatomical/Organ Terms
- Canopic jars: Four vessels for liver, lungs, stomach, intestines (heart left in body).
- Brain removal: Transnasal excision (not preserved).
Ritual & Conceptual Terms
- Ka / Ba / Akh: Soul components sustained by preservation.
- Book of the Dead: Funerary texts for afterlife navigation.
- Opening of the Mouth: Ritual to restore sensory functions.
- Weighing of the Heart: Judgment before Osiris.
Contextual Terms
- Funerary: Pertaining to burial rites.
- Egyptian / Ancient: Civilization context (c. 2600 BCE – 4th century CE).
- Cultural: Reflects cosmology, status, resources.
Mummification evolved over millennia; peak sophistication in New Kingdom (1550–1070 BCE).
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