Mummy of a young boy with a portrait panel From Hawara, Egypt AD 100-120
Visit resource for teachers Key Stage 2
Ancient Egypt: mummification
Contents
Before your visit
Background information Resources Gallery information Preliminary activities
During your visit
Gallery activities: introduction for teachers Gallery activities: briefings for adult helpers Gallery activity: Sand and coffin burial comparison Gallery activity: Animal mummies Gallery activity: Burial beliefs Gallery activity: Mummy-maker
After your visit
Follow-up activities
Ancient Egypt: mummification
Before your visit
Ancient Egypt: mummification visit
Before your
Background information
The preservation of the body was an essential part of ancient Egyptian funerary belief and practice. Early mummification involved the wrapping of specific parts of the body such as the face and hands. It has been suggested that the process developed to reproduce the naturally occurring desiccating (drying) effects of the hot dry sand on a body buried within it.
The best literary account of the mummification process is given by Herodotus, an ancient …show more content…
The galleries also show the use of modern technology for investigating mummies, with x-ray and CAT-scan images of some of the exhibits. Room 62, case 2 contains a number of wooden coffins illustrating the development of the coffin in ancient Egypt. There are animal mummies in case 29 and a good display of papyri in case 24. The mummy of Artemidorus in case 22 includes a CATscan image of his mummy inside the coffin. Room 63 contains further examples of mummies and coffins including the stunning gold gilded coffin of Henutmehyt in case 9. In case 6 there is a display of canopic jars whilst case 11 contains tomb models. Cases 15 and 16 contain a display of shabti