Egyptian Mummification: It’s History, Purpose, and Process Essays

Egyptian Mummification Its History, Purpose, and ProcessThe history and tradition of Egypt is wholeness of the most greatly studied and admired of all past world cultivations. The lure of the pyramids and the specter of the sphinx have led many archeologists to dedicate his/her life to unraveling the mysteries of ancient Egyptian culture. Arguably, the most captivating aspect of Egypts past is that of mummification. Why did the Egyptians mummify their dead? What beliefs did the Egyptians have regarding the after life? What portion of the Egyptian civilization was mummified? What was the Book of the Dead? This is a mere sampling of the questions that come to my mind when I think of ancient Egyptian culture. I hope to lay out answers to these questions and many more in the following p suppurates dedicated to the history and purpose behind Egyptian mummification.Mummification, with its long, storied history, has allowed archeologists to peer into the daily lives and beliefs of ancien t Egyptian middle class and royalty. The practice of mummification by the Egyptians seems to have started sometime before 3100 BC. However, lack of written evidence or significant physical proof from this Predynastic period is gettable to either confirm or deny this. One of the oldest surviving mummies is Ginger, currently stored at the British Museum. Ginger was buried in a shallow profound and wrapped only in light cloth but due to the hot, dry desert he survived intact to discovery in the late nineteenth century (Andrews 5). Gingers name comes from the color of his hair, fragments of which are still attached to his body. Evidence from his discovery supports the belief that even at this early age the Egyptians believed in the afterlife. Tools and pottery we... ...ould be very thankful to the Egyptian people for leaving us this gift, which paints for us such a clear picture of their legacy. whole kit and caboodle CitedAldred, Cyril. The Egyptians. naked York Thames and Hudson I nc., 1984.Andrews, Carol. Egyptian Mummies. Cambridge Harvard University Press, 1984.Budge, E.A. Wallis. The Mummy A Handbook of Egyptian Funerary Archaeology.2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 1925.Casson, Lionel. Ancient Egypt. New York Time Incorporated, 1965.Editors of Time-Life Books. Egypt Land of the Pharaohs. Alexandria Time-Life Books, 1992.El Mahdy, Christine. Mummies Myth and Magic. New York Thames and Hudson Inc., 1989.Montet, Pierre. Eternal Egypt. New York The New American Library of World Literature, Inc., 1964.Peck, William H. Splendors of Ancient Egypt. Ann Arbor University Lithoprinters, Inc.,1997.