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Mummies in ancient Egypt

Egyptian mummy kept in the Vatican Museums

Though not a famous pharaoh from ancient Egypt, this mummy dating from 3300 BC has it's own claim to fame.  Not much is known about his life, but he has been given a place of honor in the British Museum, and has been dubbed 'Ginger' because of his red hair.  Unlike the ancient pharaohs, Ginger was mummified from the simple process of being buried in hot desert sand, and while no great pyramid marked his final resting place, he may have had stones piled on top of his corpse to deter hungry jackals. The hot, dry conditions in the desert were the perfect elements to preserve the body. A few pottery vessels found in his simple grave would have held food and drink for his journey to the world of the dead. Ginger lived before written records of the Egyptian's religion, but his beliefs must have been similar to those we read about in sacred records from later years.  Whether or not Ginger believed that mummification was necessary for his eternal progress, his burial in the hot desert sand provided him with a natural mummification regardless of any human intention.

MUMMIFICATION

The Egyptians began performing ritualistic mummification around 3000 BC , and this was due to their belief in eternal life and the need to preserve the body forever.  Professional embalmers began by cutting an opening in the abdomen of the body for the removal of the organs and moisture which would hinder the preservation of the body tissues.  The only organ to remain in place was the heart, which was believed to be the director of the soul.  The lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines were removed and stored in canopic jars.  Since the brain was considered unnecessary for eternity(!),  the embalmers would break the bone behind the nose, break the brain into little pieces and pull them out via the nose. Then they would stuff the head with resin or sawdust. By the Middle Kingdom embalmers used natural salts to remove moisture from the body. After being annointed with precious oils and perfumes, the corpses were carefully wrapped in resin-soaked linen. Embalming skills reached their peak in the 21st Dynasty.  The discovery in modern times of tombs holding such carefully prepared mummies revealed many other supplies, for the afterworld, such as written instructions as to what to do in the next world and storehouses full of worldly goods that they might need.  With such careful preparations completed, it was believed that the mummy was finally ready for eternal rest.

Source:  Wikipedia