Why Were Mummies Put in Coffins?

Why Mummify?

• The main reasons for Egyptian mummification were religious. Egyptians believed that by mummifying a body, they were preserving it to be used in the afterlife. They would remove several of the deceased person's internal organs, preserve them with natron salts, and place them in jars in case the deceased needed them in the afterlife. Despite these religious beliefs, mummification was quite expensive and many poorer families had to bury their dead in the sand without the benefits of the mummification process.

Mummification Process

• Ritual purification of the body was the first step in Egyptian mummification. Once these religious acts were completed, the inner organs of the deceased were removed. The intestines, liver, stomach and lungs were removed through a slit made in the left side of the body, while the brain, which was deemed useless by ancient Egyptians, was removed through the nostrils. The organ cavities were then stuffed with natron salts, a natural preservative, and then the entire body was covered in natron. The body was then left to dry out for about 40 days. The salts were then removed and the body was washed and stuffed back to its original size. After more rituals, the body was wrapped in bandages, the face was covered with a death mask and the entire mummy was coated in resin. The mummy was then placed in a sarcophagus (if the family had the money) and buried or entombed.

Sarcophagus

• The main purpose of the Egyptian sarcophagus was to act as an outer layer of protection for the mummy. These stone coffins generally housed several smaller coffins inside of them to further protect the mummy. The outer layer of Egyptian sarcophagi were generally highly ornamented, often carved into elaborate shapes and carefully painted. Religious imagery was commonly part of what was painted or carved on a sarcophagus.

Pyramids

• The pyramids were complex tombs for the pharaohs and high priests of ancient Egyptian society. These amazing man-made structures were designed not only as a monument to the pharaohs, but also as another layer of protection for the mummified bodies within. Without the pyramids and sarcophagi, it is unlikely that many of the most famous mummies would have survived as long as they did.