Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-26
How Egyptian Mummies Were Pre-
te t1H1 pared.

The most curious of the arts of Egypt
was that by which they disposed of their
dead. IL was The will of the Egyptians
to have their bodies, or the principal por-
tions of them, preserved as long as pos
sible from decay; and this was effected
so successfully that the sight seer OF TO.
day may examine the corpses OF men and
women over whom thousands upon thou
sands years have rolled without bringing
to them corruption, or depriyirg them of
the human form. Indeed. we know Of
no limit 10 the endurance of the mummy
if left in Egypt, the climate for which L
was prepared. The processes (fol there
were three processes) Of embaming re-
auired from two to three months to Com
plete thlm The body was never EN-
baImed whole. Some portions were
always removed, and not always, there
is reason to suppose, preserved; but com
monty the separated portions were pre-.
served by themselves and plae d in jars.
The exteri-r body was then filed with
myrrh. cassia, aud other g inns. and after
that saturated with natron. Then there
was a marvellous swathing OF the EN-.
balmed form, SD artistically executed that
professional bandagers of the present day
are lost in admiration of its excellence.
. According to DR.. Granville, there is
not single form of bandage known to
modern surgery of which examples are
not seen in the swathngs of the EIyp-
tian Inummies. The strips Of linen have
been found extending TO 200 yards in
length. Rossellini gives similar testl-
mony to the wonderful variety and skill
with which the bandages have been ap
piled and interlaced" The exclusion of
the air from the surface of. the body was
the object of this patient labor, aud every
proper expedient was resorted 10 make
the cerements fit gatlv. Not the large
limbs only, but the fingers and toes have
been separately bandaged in the mare
elaborate mummies. The body was gen
orally labeled, having its card, SO to
speak, placed within The linen fods, and
generally on tho breast. The ident flea
ton was usually plate Of metal en-
graved, but sometimes it was small
image of god, or an animal, with the
uame of the mummy on it, and this las
been found sometimes within the body.
Beads, ear rings, necklaces are frequently
turned out from among the wrappings.
The bandaging affected, the next thing
was to fit the mummy's surtou, which
was made of layers Of cloth pasted or
glued together till they formed paste
board. Before il could be called board,
however is to say, while il was yet
moist and piiabe-it was placed about
the wearer. whose shape it was made to
take accurately. As soon as the artist
was satisfied with the fit, the garment
was sewn up at the back, and then allow
ed TO harden, A mask, representing
the features Ct the deceased, was put
over the head. and continued some way
over the shoulders. Male nulDmies
wore reddish brown, and female vel
lowish green mask, as a rule: but the
faces of some nummies, and sometimes
even their whole surfaces, were gilded
over. Commonly the pasteboard case
was painted in bright coIors, whose bril-
liancy was as lasting rs the mummy IL
SELF Hieroglyphics were emblazoned on
it, and it was in some instances stuck
over with beads and spangles. The le
gend would describe the departed, or
include prayer or invocation. The
mummy was thus complete, but it was
boxed up afterward in three collins made
to follow its shape rs nearly as could be.