Ancient Egyptian embalmers likely did not use hooks to extract pieces of the brain when preparing a body for the afterlife.
Mummy of Pharaoh Amenhotep I at the Cairo Museum, Egypt. (Photo: Patrick Landmann)
Experiments suggest that they likely employed a much more effective method for brain removal, according to Stephen Buckley, an expert in mummification research. Buckley, an archaeologist and analytical chemist at the University of York, reported that he conducted experiments on sheep to test various techniques for brain extraction, as noted by Business Insider on December 25.
Buckley found that pulling the brain out in pieces was not easy at all. He stated that using a hook to extract individual brain fragments is not particularly effective. The deceased’s brain could be removed slowly using a metal hook with multiple repetitive thrusts. However, the process would be less complicated if the brain were liquefied. If a hook is stirred for 20 minutes, the brain will turn to liquid and can be poured out.
At times, ancient Egyptians left the brain intact, especially with the mummies of early rulers. They would keep the brain in place rather than remove it. The embalmers would allow the brain to dry inside the skull. For example, the mummies of Pharaoh Thutmose I, Queen Tiye, wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, and Pharaoh Amenhotep I were all found with intact brain tissue.
Ancient Egyptians may not have had a clear understanding of bacteria, but they clearly recognized that removing internal organs from the body had a profound impact on slowing down decomposition. Whenever possible, they would always remove the intestines, lungs, and many other internal organs from the deceased, and then process them for separate preservation. In some cases, they placed them in jars or returned them to the mummy.
