Whether you were sick, dying or dead, Ancient Egypt was the place to be! Ancient Egyptians had the best health care and they could treat almost any illness: by making remedies that could cure the common cold to successfuly completing brain surgery. The Egyptians also had the best way of preserving your body after you died. This is called mummification. Read on to learn how advanced their medical and mumificational practice was.
Mumifacation
Ancient Egypt is best known for their mummies. These days mummies are a great scare in horror movies, but did you know in ancient Egyptain times it was an honour to be mumified? Only pharaohs or special people would be offered this chance. So all the stereo types about mummies are made up!
The first form of mummification was when ancient Egyptians would dig pits in the dessert and put the bodies inside of them. The body would dry out in the hot desert and was preserved by the mixture of dry air and sunshine. Even it’s internal organs were preserved. The body took the form of the mummy.
The problem with this process was that hungry animals would eat the mummified bodies. So the Egyptians decided to change their technic. They began to put the bodies in a coffin to keep them safe and away from the animals. But, in the coffin the bodies would disintegrate instead of mummify beacause, they were not exposed to the hot desert sun.
The Egyptians continued to develop different processes of mummification until they mastered one that they liked the best. It made the bodies stay life like.
When someone important died the preparation of mummification begun. To complete mummification took a very long time. There were many steps and stages to the mummification process. First the organs had to be removed, then the body had to be covered in Natron, next the body was coated with different oils to preserve the skin and finally the body was wrapped in linen.
When these steps were finished the body was ready to be buried. These steps were called embalming and wrapping.
Embalming:
The body was taken to a tent called ibu. It was then washed with pine wine and water from the Nile. One Embalmer would cut on the left side of the body and take out all the internal organs. It was important to take them out because they were the first things to decompose. The liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were washed and put in natron to dry them out. They did not take the heart out because, they thought it was the center of intelligence and feeling and the person would need it in after life. After they would smash the brain with a long big hook and take it out piece by piece through the nose. The body would be stuffed and covered in natron to decompose it and dry up all the extra fluids.
After forty days being untouched, the body would again be washed with water from the Nile and then covered in oils to keep the skin elastic. The dehydrated organs were placed in linen and put back inside the body. The body was stuffed with dry things like leaves, cloths and sawdust to make it look life like and fuller. It was again coated in oils and then ready for wrapping.
The body was taken to a tent called ibu. It was then washed with pine wine and water from the Nile. One Embalmer would cut on the left side of the body and take out all the internal organs. It was important to take them out because they were the first things to decompose. The liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were washed and put in natron to dry them out. They did not take the heart out because, they thought it was the center of intelligence and feeling and the person would need it in after life. After they would smash the brain with a long big hook and take it out piece by piece through the nose. The body would be stuffed and covered in natron to decompose it and dry up all the extra fluids.
After forty days being untouched, the body would again be washed with water from the Nile and then covered in oils to keep the skin elastic. The dehydrated organs were placed in linen and put back inside the body. The body was stuffed with dry things like leaves, cloths and sawdust to make it look life like and fuller. It was again coated in oils and then ready for wrapping.
These are the jars that were used to carry the organs. Later the Egyptians left the organs inside the body, but they still buried these jars with the mummy for the protection of the organs.
Imestey: the human headed god that took care of the liver.
Hapy: the baboon headed god that took care of the lungs.
Duamutef: the jackal-headed god looks after the stomach.
Qebehsenuef: the falcon headed god that looks after the intestines.
Wrapping:
When the embalming was finished, it was time for the wrapping. First the head and neck were wrapped in linen. The toes and fingers were then wrapped individually. Next the arms and legs and everything else were wrapped. In-between the linen strips a liquid resin was put on to glue the pieces of linen together. Throughout the linen wrapping and within the layers of wrapping, the embalmers would place amulets to help the person through their journey through the under world.
When the embalming was finished, it was time for the wrapping. First the head and neck were wrapped in linen. The toes and fingers were then wrapped individually. Next the arms and legs and everything else were wrapped. In-between the linen strips a liquid resin was put on to glue the pieces of linen together. Throughout the linen wrapping and within the layers of wrapping, the embalmers would place amulets to help the person through their journey through the under world.
This is a ‘Isis knot’ it is an amulet to protect the body.
This is a ‘plummet’ amulet, which would help keep the person balanced in the their next life.
Throughout the wrapping a priest would read spells to help keep all evil spirits away from the body and help this person in their afterlife. The arms and legs of the mummy were tied together and the book of the dead was placed on the body. A cloth with a picture of Osiris on it covers the body. It is then finally wrapped in another piece of cloth and then put inside the first Sarcophagus which is then put inside another Sarcophagus. A sarcophagus is a coffin like case. The Ancient Egyptians put the body in many casings to protect the body but also to keep tomb raiders off of the body.
There is a funeral for the mummy, afterwards a ritual called ‘Opening of the mouth’ is held. This ritual allows the mummy to eat and drink for the last time. The mummy is then put into a tomb. A tomb is like a box like room. All of the person's valuables such as furniture, clothing, gems and special belongings are buried with the mummy.
There is a funeral for the mummy, afterwards a ritual called ‘Opening of the mouth’ is held. This ritual allows the mummy to eat and drink for the last time. The mummy is then put into a tomb. A tomb is like a box like room. All of the person's valuables such as furniture, clothing, gems and special belongings are buried with the mummy.
Over all mummification was an important part of the ancient egyptain's culture. It is amazing how the egyptains had the knowledge of how to mummify bodies. For their time they had very advanded scientific knowledge and skills .
Medicine
In the third millennium BCE, medicine for ancient Egypt took off. Their understanding of the body increased and they learned new things about the body that no other civilization had yet discovered. They used herbs and remedies for one of the first forms of medicine to take home with you. Egyptians had some of the best medical solutions of all the ancient civilizations. Even today we still use some of the technics from this fascinating culture.
Egyptians were the first to understand the brain in a way that they were able to do surgery on the brain without killing the patient. Even though they had figured out how the brain worked they still didn't understand everything. They thought the brain was functioning from the heart and not the other way around. They thought that all of the body related back to the heart. That is one of the reasons why they left the heart inside the mummy.
Egyptians were said to be the first civilization to create medicine for those to take when they were feeling ill. They used herbs, natural plants, fresh cows milk and things like that to make the medicine. These remedies were offered for headaches, stomach aches and bowel trouble. The physicians didn't have time to treat patients with these day to day sicknesses, so instead they decided to help get rid of them!
You would have thought that ancient Egyptians would know so much about the body and how it worked because of mummification; but they actually did not! Physicians (doctors) and embalmers (people who made mummies) were completely different professions and they did not even share their knowledge with each other. Embalmers were the ones to extract all of the internal organs out of the person. They understood more about where the organs were located and how they were positioned. The physicians understood how the body worked and how the organ functioned. If only the embalmers and physicians would have exchanged their knowledge they would have known so much more information!
Ancient Egyptins had a great system of providing medicine and health care. They had scientifically knowledgeble physicains to provide medicine and surgery. Their practice was not based on on religues beliefs or wichcraft.
Ancient Egypt has impacted our lives today for many reasons. Since they discovered how to do brain surgery they have left us a fondation to build off of. We now have saved many lives using brain surgery and many more to come. They also showed us how to make special remidies to use for medicine in your home. Now when we have a bad cold we don't need to go to the doctor we just have to take a pill to help us feel better. They showed us how to do that and we all have to thank them for this. The ancient egptains also left us with jobs to have. We have special people called archaeologists to study their culture and the amazing writing that they left for us to see. Ancient Egyptains have left us with knowledge that has made our civilization to last for so long. Ancient Egyptains were very clever group of people and have impacted us in very good ways.
Over all, ancient Egyptians had discover and used many advanced knowledge and tecnics in both their medical care and cutural life. through mumifacation and the medicine and they showed that they thought outside of the box and that they were a clever and problem solving civilization.
bibiogaphy
www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/home.html
www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/medicine.htm
www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/medicine/ancient-egyptain medicine.php#ULdiLhYQifQ
pictures: google search
www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/home.html
www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/medicine.htm
www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/medicine/ancient-egyptain medicine.php#ULdiLhYQifQ
pictures: google search