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

Egyptian Mummification Its History, Purpose, and ProcessThe history and tradition of Egypt is one of the nigh greatly examine and admired of all past world civilizations. The lure of the pyramids and the specter of the sphinx defy 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 utterly? What beliefs did the Egyptians have regarding the after life? What portion of the Egyptian civilization was mummified? What was the criminal record 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 forwards answers to these questions and many more in the following pages dedicated to the history and character behind Egyptian mummification.Mummification, with its long, storied history, has allowed archeologists to peer into the daily lives and beli efs of ancient Egyptian middle-class and royalty. The practice of mummification by the Egyptians seems to have started sometime originally 3100 BC. However, lack of written evidence or significant physical cogent evidence from this Predynastic period is available to either confirm or deny this. unrivalled of the oldest surviving mummies is Ginger, currently stored at the British Museum. Ginger was buried in a shallow grave and wrapped only in electric arc cloth but due to the hot, dry desert he survived total to discovery in the late 19th 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 clayware 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.Works CitedAldred, Cyril. The Egyptians. impudently York Thames and Hudson Inc., 1984.Andrews, Carol. Egyptian Mummies. Cambridge Harvard University Press, 1984.Budge, E.A. Wallis. The Mummy A Handbook of Egyptian Funerary Archaeology.second ed. Cambridge University Press, 1925.Casson, Lionel. past Egypt. naked as a jaybird 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.