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Canopic jars
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The
embalming procedure is designed to ensure the pharaoh's entry into the kingdom
of Osiris.
Mummification involves the following steps.
The
pharaoh's internal organs will be removed.
Each
organ will be preserved and, except for the heart, stored within a canopic
jar. After preservation, the heart will be placed back inside the body.
To
extract all the moisture from the pharaoh's body, embalmers will treat it
with natron, a natural salt, for 40 days.
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Stages of mummification
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Once
the body is completely dry, embalmers will wash it with wine, herbs, spices,
flowers, and chamomile oil, and treat it again with natron.
Finally,
they will preserve it with a coating of liquefied tree resin.
To
keep the pharaoh's skin supple and unbroken, they will apply a concoction
of cedar oil, wax, natron, and gum.
The
embalmers will restore the natural contours of the pharaoh's earthly form
by filling the body cavitywith linen, sand, or sawdust.
Finally,
they will carefully wrap the pharaoh's body in linen, coiling the cloth
around the fingers and toes and arms and legs individually. In the end,
they will apply more than a dozen alternating layers of tightly wrapped
shrouds
and linen strips to the entire body and treat each layer with liquefied
resin to bond the pieces of fabric and render them stiff upon drying.
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