For a long time, it has been believed that ancient Egyptians used embalming as a way to preserve the body after death. However, an upcoming museum exhibition reveals that such complex burial techniques were actually a means to connect the deceased with the divine.
Researchers from the Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester in the UK are clarifying this common misconception as part of their preparation for the exhibition titled “The Golden Mummies of Egypt”, which will open early next year.
This new understanding of the intended purpose of embalming fundamentally changes much of what has been taught to students about mummies.
The golden mummy of a woman named Isaious, daughter of Demetrios, displayed at the Manchester Museum, UK
So how did this misconception develop for so long? Campbell Price, the museum curator, explains that the Western-led idea began with Victorian researchers, who mistakenly identified that ancient Egyptians were preserving their corpses in a manner similar to how fish were preserved. They reasoned that both processes shared a common ingredient: salt.
However, the salty substance used by ancient Egyptians is different from the salt used to preserve freshly caught products. Known as natron, this natural mineral (a mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate) is abundant around the lakes near the Nile River and was a primary ingredient in the embalming process.
The Misconception of Mummification
Campbell states: “We also know that natron was used in temple rituals and applied to the statues of gods. It was used for purification.”
He further adds that another material frequently used with mummies was incense, which was also offered as a gift to the gods, similar to the story of Jesus in Christianity and the gifts of the Magi, appropriate offerings for a deity.
When you burn incense in a temple, it is fitting because it is the home of a god and sanctifies the space. But when you use frankincense on a body, you are sanctifying the body and transforming it into a divine entity. You are not necessarily preserving it.
Like the Egyptians, Victorian Egyptologists also believed that the deceased would need their bodies in the afterlife, which further contributed to the misunderstanding of mummification.
As part of the exhibition, the museum will display several burial masks and sarcophagi related to ancient Egyptian burials, providing additional evidence of the original intent behind mummification.
The exhibition “The Golden Mummies of Egypt” will be showcased at the Manchester Museum starting February 18, 2023. The museum has also published a book with a similar title written by Campbell Price to accompany the exhibition.
