10 How to make a mummy

HOW TO MAKE A MUMMY The Egyptians believed in an afterlife where they would be reborn as spirits, but only if their bodies were preserved as mummies. Only very rich people could afford this, and it took at least 70 days to mummify a pharaoh. Before reaching the afterlife, the spirits of the dead were thought to travel through an underworld called Duat. STEP 1 The body was cleaned using water and salt. The internal organs were taken out and placed in special jars. Canopic jars with the heads of Egyptian gods STEP 2 The body was filled with bags of salt and left for 40 days to dry out. After, it was stuffed with bandages and spices. The priests who oversaw mummification wore a mask of the god Anubis

STEP 3 The body was then coated with gum and wrapped in linen strips. Tucked among them were special objects that were meant to protect the dead person in the afterlife. STEP 4 The mummified body was placed in a decorated stone coffin called a sarcophagus. The sarcophagus was placed inside a tomb. Some sarcophagi were made from granite and were really heavy ANIMAL MUMMIES! The Egyptians mummified animals too, including cats, crocodiles, fish, baboons, and birds. These animal mummies were offerings to the gods, but were also to make sure beloved pets would journey to the afterlife.