Valerie Tierney digs into the myths and legends of mummies to uncover the science behind mummification and embalming
The legend of the mummy is one that has inspired and terrified people for many generations. From the curses that apparently plagued the team led by Howard Carter after the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb, to Hollywood movies (and their inevitable sequels), it is clear that the process of mummification and embalming is one that has enduringly captured the imagination of the general public.
A mummy is simply a human being or animal whose soft tissue has been preserved after death. This can happen through several different means, be they deliberate or accidental. These methods all have one thing in common: the mummification process that occurs prevents normal decomposition of the body.
Under normal circumstances, the body first undergoes a process called autolysis. This is where, due to the lapse of normal bodily function, the body’s digestive juices begin to digest the organs in which they are contained. Putrefaction then occurs, where the body is further broken down by an overgrowth of bacteria, which can originate from the environment, or from within the body itself. In combination, these two processes cause the decomposition of soft tissue, leading to skeletal remains.
This decomposition process can be halted through many different means. For example, some of the first known Egyptian mummies were created by burying bodies in desert sand. The desert heat would rapidly dehydrate the body, rendering the decomposition process impossible.
The Egyptians had several methods of mummification, which varied in time required and expense. The most perfect method was the most expensive, and so, was only available to upper class members of society. This is the mummification process that we are most familiar with today, where the brain and internal organs were removed, and preserved in jars. The body cavities were then cleaned using palm wine and were filled with an assortment of herbs and spices. The body would then be placed in natron, a salt, for seventy days to dehydrate the body, before it was wrapped in cloth bandages, and placed in an ornate sarcophagus.
The methods available to less wealthy families were significantly less complex. Middle class families most commonly used cedar oil to liquefy the organs by injecting the oil into the abdomen of the deceased before placing the body in natron for seventy days. After seventy days, the body would be removed from the salt, and the oil and organs would be drained. The body would then be returned to the family. In contrast to methods which would remove organs, the least expensive method was more simple and cost effective. This method involved the performance of an enema to clean the intestinal tract, before dehydrating the body in natron.
Though deliberate mummification is most commonly associated with ancient Egyptians, it has been practiced by many other cultures throughout time. Two thousand years before the existence of the Egyptians, the Chinchorro people, a group of hunter-gatherers who lived in what is now known as Peru and Chile, preserved their dead using methods similar to the Egyptians.
Mummification is still practiced in this day and age – though now it is more commonly referred to as embalming, or hygienic treatment. Today’s embalmers are highly trained, and study anatomy, physiology and microbiology, amongst other topics. Embalming is no longer performed in order to preserve a body for thousands of years; instead it focuses on temporary preservation, presenting the body appropriately and sanitising the remains. Two procedures are utilised to achieve this, known respectively as Arterial Treatment and Cavity Treatment.
Arterial treatment involves removing blood from the body by making a small incision, and replacing the blood with a preserving chemical, such as formaldehyde. Cavity treatment is then performed, and a trocar, a medical grade drainage tube, is inserted so that cavity fluids and gasses can be removed, and replaced with preserving fluid. In order to complete the process, make-up is applied and the deceased’s hair is styled in order to ensure that the presentation is appropriate.
As with most things, there are decided advantages and disadvantages associated with the process of modern embalming. A common benefit of the process includes allowing time to arrange the funeral, while less common benefits include removing the threat of spreading infection, if the deceased died due to infectious causes, and the restoration of the deceased’s appearance. This restoration can be very valuable, especially in cases of car crashes, and can help the family through the grieving process by providing them with a positive final experience.
Those that are opposed to the process of embalming however generally come from two schools of thought: those that do not agree with embalming for religious reasons, such as Orthodox Jews and Muslims, and those that are concerned about the impact of the chemicals used in the process. Formaldehyde, which is used as the main preservative, is a probable carcinogen. As the bodies, which are filled with formaldehyde, are placed in the ground, some people are concerned about the impact of the formaldehyde on both the soil, and the possibility of it being washed into water sources.
Embalming allows mummification to exist in the modern world, continuing a tradition that has existed for many thousands of years. Mummification continues to intrigue and fascinate people to this day. Although religion and the concept of the afterlife may play a less significant role in the lives of many people, it appears that the embalming process is here to stay – though thankfully with less brain removal and with significant modern and scientific advances.
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