Egypt Museum

Mummification

Canopic case & jars of Gua

Canopic chest & jars of Gua

This wooden chest with four painted Egyptian alabaster canopic jars belongs to somebody called Gua. They date from the 12th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, approximately, 1939-1760 B.C. Discovered in Deir el-Bersha, they are inscribed with funerary texts on behalf of Gua, invoking the Four Sons of Horus, Isis, Nephthys, Selket and Neith. Three of the jars retain remains of linen packages inside.

The Mummification Process

The Mummification Process

Mummification is the process of preserving the body after death by deliberately drying or embalming flesh. This typically involved removing moisture from a deceased body and using chemicals or natural preservatives, such as resin, to desiccate the flesh and organs. Older mummies are believed to have been naturally preserved by burying them in dry desert sand and were not chemically treated.Â