Why study mummies?
Mummies are important documents which shed light upon many aspects of ancient Egyptian culture and history. They are primary records of the practical application of funerary beliefs, and poignant reminders of the ancient Egyptian quest for immortality. Artificial mummification was practiced from the 3rd Dynasty through the early Christian period.[2] During this long period, there were many variations and modifications in the actual procedure.[3] Ideally, one might be able to date a particular mummy by the form of mummification alone. For example, according to the tradition paradigm, in the New Kingdom the four major organs (stomach, liver, lungs and intestines) were removed from the body and after mummification they were placed in separate canopic jars. This practice was modified in the 21st Dynasty (ca. 1069 B.C.) when the mummified and wrapped organs were replaced in the body cavity. The New Kingdom technique of depositing the organs in canopic jars was revived in the 25th and 26th d
