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10. Heart scarab of Isis-em-kheb. wife of the high priest of Amun, 

 Men-kheperre. Dynasty XXI, green nephrite, bottonn, side, and top 



views. 2126 



relatives brought the body to the shop, then selected 

 the process to be employed and the quality of coffin and 

 other furnishings. 



In the costliest process, shown in the Egyptian ex- 

 hibit's mummification diorama, the body was first 

 washed. Next, an incision was made in the left flank, 

 and the lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines taken out 

 for separate mummification. Because these organs de- 

 cay rapidly, they were removed and handled sepa- 

 rately. The resulting cavities were rinsed out with palm 

 oil and spices; sometimes they were filled with sawdust, 

 sand, lichens, aromatic herbs and spices, or com- 

 binations of these. After mummification, the removed 

 organs were placed into four containers, called Cano- 

 pic jars (fig. 8). In some periods the embalmed organs 

 were replaced into the body, with appropriate amulets 

 attached, a less expensive process. The jars, first used 

 in the Old Kingdom, had domed tops; in the Middle 

 Kingdom they were given stoppers that resembled the 

 tomb-owner's head, then in Dynasty XIX (1291-1185 

 B.C.) they were given stoppers with human, jackal, ba- 

 boon, and falcon heads. These figures were known as 

 the four sons of Horus (Horus himself being the son of 

 Osiris) . The four are often represented in the Books of 

 the Dead — funerary texts written on papyrus rolls and 

 placed with the deceased as guides to the Hereafter. 

 These four figures were named Imsety (human- 

 headed), in charge of the liver; Hapi (baboon-headed), 

 in charge of the lungs; Dua-mut-ef (jackal-headed), in 

 charge of the stomach; and Qebeh-senu-ef (falcon- 

 headed), in charge of the intestines. The brain was 

 sometimes removed through a breach made through 

 the nose, but since the Egyptians did not consider the 

 brain important, it was not preserved. The heart was 

 almost always left in place, for it had to stand up for the 

 tomb owner in the judgement before Osiris and the 



forty-two assessors, and had to be weighed against the 

 goddess of justice or her feather. 



After evisceration, the body was placed on a slant- 

 ing table, covered with dry natron, and kept there for 

 40 days. This process effectively dessicated the body 

 into a mummy, and it remained well preserved. Next, 

 the body was returned to the shop, washed to remove 

 all natron, then bandaged in strips of linen, up to 400 

 yards in length, to restore the semblance of life. In this 

 30-day process, amulets and jewelry and other items 

 were placed into the wrappings with appropriate 

 rituals. In the Museum exhibit, a mummy-shaped 

 plexiglass construction standing before Harwa has 

 affixed to it the amulets and other items in the posi- 

 tions in which they would be attached. It is the pres- 

 ence of gold and precious stones among such items that 

 drew the attention of tomb robbers. Eventually, after 

 1085 B.C., most of these items were made of bluish- 

 green faience, a glazed and fired material that did not 



1 1 . Scenes from the Book of Am-Duat, corridor of Merenptah, to the 

 Osireion, Abydos. Ancient versions of hell are depicted. 



Frank Yurco photo 



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