Egypt: Embalming a dead body

The ancient Egyptians believed in after death, so they preserved their dead bodies to prevent decay. Dead bodies were carefully prepared, before being placed into a coffin. This is called embalming. The embalmed bodies are called mummies.

 Embalmers removed the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines. These were washed and packed in natron, a kind of salt, to dry them out. The heart was left in the body.

A dead person was buried with everything they might need in the afterlife. This included their preserved body, called mummy.

Anubis was the god of mummification. He had a human body and the head of a jackal. His job was to prepare the bodies of the dead to be received by Osiris.

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