What do canopic jars symbolize

N atron, a disinfectant and desiccating agent, was the main ingredient used in the mummification process. A compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate salt and baking soda , natron essentially dried out the corpse. Obtained from dried-up river beds, it was packed around and inside the body in linen bags, and left for 35 to 40 days to draw moisture out of the tissues.

By removing the organs and packing the internal cavity with dry natron, the body tissues were preserved. The body was filled with Nile mud, sawdust, lichen and cloth scraps to make it more flexible. Small cooking onions or linen pads were sometimes used to replace the eyes. Beginning in the third dynasty, the internal organs lungs, stomach, liver and intestines were removed, washed with palm wine and spices, and stored in four separate canopic jars made of limestone, calcite or clay.

Prior to this, the abdominal contents were removed, wrapped and buried in the floor of the tomb. However, the heart was left in the body because it was considered the centre of intelligence. T he corpse was then washed , wrapped in linen as many as 35 layers and soaked in resins and oils. This gave the skin a blackened appearance resembling pitch. The term "mummification" comes from the Arabic word mummiya , which mean bitumen, a pitch substance that was first used in the preservation process during the Late Period.

The family of the deceased supplied the burial linen, which was made from old bed sheets or used clothing. I n the Middle Kingdom , it became standard practice to place a mask over the face of the deceased. The majority of these were made of cartonnage papyrus or linen coated with gesso, a type of plaster , but wood and, in the case of royal mummies , silver and gold, were also used.

The most famous mask is Tutankhamun's. T he ancient embalmers used very few tools, and once their work was completed, they sometimes left them in or near the tomb. The basic tool kit included a knife to make the abdominal incision, hooked bronze rods to extract brain matter, a wooden adze-like tool to remove internal organs, and a funnel to pour resins into the cranial cavity through the nose. T he Egyptians mummified animals as well as humans -- everything from bulls and hawks to ichneumons and snakes.

Some have been found in large quantities, while others are rare. Many species were raised in the temples to be sacrificed to the gods. In the beginning stages of the ancient Egyptian religion, Horus was believed to be the god of war and the sky, and was married to the goddess Hathor.

As the religion progressed, Horus was seen as the son of Osiris and Isis, as well as the opponent of Seth. The embalmers used a long hook to smash the brain and pull it out through the nose! Then they cut open the left side of the body and removed the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines. The heart is not removed because it was believed to be the centre of intelligence and feeling: the dead will need this in the afterlife!.

The rites of Modern Mummification are extensive. Consequently, the costs are significant, but it can be affordable through proper planning. Because Mummification is a very elaborate, detailed, thorough, and lengthy process, it incurs extensive costs. Why Did They Remove the Organs? The brain, lungs, liver, stomach and intestines were removed during the embalming process.

The other organs were removed because they would cause the body to decay if left in place. As much water as possible was removed to help prevent decay. The Egyptians first used hieroglyphs exclusively for inscriptions carved or painted on temple walls.

Hieroglyphics are an original form of writing out of which all other forms have evolved. Two of the newer forms were called hieratic and demotic.

The four jars were:. Part of the Egyptian religious belief was that as a person prepared to enter the afterlife, they would have to be tested to see if they had led a good life. Their heart would be placed on a scale with a feather on the other side. If the feather was heavier than their heart, they could pass. It was because of this belief that the heart was left in the body and not placed into a jar.