![]() “We get a list of ingredients for a remedy consisting largely of plant-based aromatic substances and binders that are cooked into a liquid, with which the embalmers coat a piece of red linen. “One of the exciting new pieces of information the text provides us with concerns the procedure for embalming the dead person's face,” added Schiødt. The second 35-day period was dedicated to the encasing of the body in wrapped bandages and aromatic substances. Once this stage of the mummification process was completed on day 68, the mummy was placed in the coffin, after which the final days were spent on ritual activities to ensure a smooth passage into the afterlife. Then begins the drying period where the inside and outside of the body is treated with dry natron, a naturally occurring salty material harvested from dry lake beds. Image credit: The Papyrus Carlsberg Collection/University of Copenhagenįirstly, the embalmers conduct a purification of the body, in which the deceased's brains, major organs, and eyes are removed. Section of the papyrus that deals with swellings of the skin. In between the four-day intervals, the body was covered with cloth and overlaid with straw infused with aromatics to keep away insects and scavengers,” Schiødt explained in a statement. “A ritual procession of the mummy marked these days, celebrating the progress of restoring the deceased's corporeal integrity, amounting to 17 processions over the course of the embalming period. The text explains how the whole mummification process usually took around 70 days, including a 35-day drying period and a 35-day wrapping period, with the embalmers actively working on the mummy every four days. It’s also an exceptionally detailed guide. ![]() At over 3,500-years of age, however, this text is thought to be the oldest surviving manual on mummification discovered yet, beating the two other known examples by more than 1,000 years. Only two surviving ancient Egyptian texts on mummification have ever been identified since this skill was only practiced by a small number of highly skilled individuals who passed their knowledge down orally, like a master artisan telling their apprentice about the tricks of the trade. ![]() This new appreciation of the text is exciting for a bunch of reasons.
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