Verified Document

Mummies: From Egyptian Pharaohs To Hot Dogs Research Paper

Mummification of a Hot Dog The practice of mummification in Ancient Egypt is probably one of the most famous elements of this ancient culture. Mummification is a technique for preserving the human body after a person has died.

There are many ways to preserve a body after death: in the twentieth century, there have been various forms of embalming (such as Lenin in Russia or Evita Peron in Argentina) and also freezing (such as legendary American baseball player Ted Williams). But the Egyptian form of mummification is a lot older and a lot simpler than these twentieth-century technological solutions.

Egyptian mummification was practiced by the priests of Ancient Egypt, and was in the earliest times reserved only for the Pharaoh or for members of the Pharaoh's inner circle (including pets and symbolic animals). Later -- when the Pharaohs of Egypt had become a colony of Greek and Roman empires -- mummification was more widely available, simply as a service that could be paid for.

But in the earliest days, Egyptian mummification was a religious ritual. We can see this most specifically with the famous Egyptian Book of the Dead, which is a set of prayers and rituals that explained...

This included a scene of judgment, in which the gods weighed the heart of the dead person on a scale -- if the heart weighed more than a feather, then the dead person was sent for punishment. This is not very different from ideas of judgment in the afterlife that are found in many religions today.
In his translation of the Book of the Dead, the famous Egyptologist Sir Ernest Wallis Budge points out that Egyptian mummification is directly related to the Egyptian belief in the afterlife, claiming that "the preservation of the corruptible body was in some way connected with the life in the world to come, and its preservation was necessary to ensure eternal life; otherwise…the time-honored custom of mummifying the dead would have had no meaning." (Budge lviii)

The act of mummification is fairly simple. Egyptian priests would take the dead body and wash it thoroughly in the Nile River. Once they had cleaned the body, the priests would remove the brains through the nose. They would make one cut on the side of the body to remove the internal organs such as the heart, which were preserved in separate jars called "canopic…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Budge, E.A. Wallis. The Egyptian Book of the Dead. New York: Dover Publications, 1967. Print.

Lucas, A. And Harris, J.R. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. New York: Dover Publications, 1999. Print.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Dog and Nighttime Mark Haddon's
Words: 1734 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

" Haddon's novel illustrates this characteristic of autistic families more clearly than any other of his themes and it is this that makes his work significant. Library and Information Resource Net. "Autism and Brain's Immune System Linked." AORN Journal, Feb 2005 v81 i2 p341 (1). Ozonoff, Sally and Geraldine Dawson. A Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. New York: Guilford Press, 2002. (p27-28). Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog

Canine Epilepsy Is a Chronic
Words: 1162 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

The dog may lose consciousness and fall to the ground. There may also be teeth gnashing, frantic thrashing of limbs, excessive drooling, vocalizing, paddling of feet, uncontrollable urination and defecation. The Post Ictus is the stage after the seizure when the dog may pace endlessly, appear blind and deaf and eat or drink excessively. When a dog first experiences a seizure, it is essential to rule out causes other than

Dog Day Care and Training
Words: 3342 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

An average of $11 is the half-day rate. This is the rate for simple services and does not include additional services such as grooming, vet care, or training. The pricing landscape of the competition is largely homogeneous and is relatively price sensitive. Differentiation in the market will not be likely to be achieved through price differentiation. There Product Differentiation Many doggy daycare centers in the area offer grooming and access

Dogs of March by Ernest Hebert
Words: 1018 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Dogs of March by Ernest Hebert Hebert tries hard, I think, to depict the lives of the native rural denizens -- the Elmans and their friends -- as realistically as possible. What are the characteristics of their lives? What are their values, especially their attitude toward their land and nature? How do you think we are supposed to feel about them -- sympathetic? Are they romanticized in any ways? What

Owning a Dog Versus Owning a Cat
Words: 768 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Dogs Verses Cats Dogs and cats are the two most common animals among pet owners. Each provides unconditional love as well as health and emotional benefits for the owners and each are fairly equal regarding responsibility and care, however, dogs and cats each have unique qualities. There are numerous benefits to pet ownership, whether one owns a dog or a cat. It is reported that pet owners live longer and healthier lives

Progress in Dog Training and Observation of Training Responses
Words: 1208 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Dog Training Training a dog requires proper planning and execution of the training methods so as to reinforce and encourage repetition. Proper training calls for the creation of a desire by the dog to please and seek positive attention and feedback from its handler. For a well behaved and trained dog, proper behavior adjustment and obedient command training are needful. This training starts with the sit command and training. The sit

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now