Ancient Egyptian mummies were not made by accident. They were made on purpose, very carefully, by skilled embalmers. The Egyptians believed people needed their physical body to live in the afterlife, so they spent about 70 days preparing each one. Pharaohs got the fanciest treatment, but even regular people were mummified when their families could afford it.
The first step sounds wild today: the embalmers removed the brain by pushing a long hook up through the nose. The Egyptians thought the brain was useless - they believed people thought with their hearts. Then they removed most of the organs and stored them in four special containers called canopic jars.
The body was packed with a salt called natron, which dried it out completely over 40 days. Then it was washed, oiled with sweet-smelling spices, and wrapped in long strips of linen. Charms and amulets were tucked between the layers for protection. Some mummies have lasted over 4,000 years and are still on display in museums.
