Mummies??? I, Zeb the Duck, and Soapy Smith Duck, saw mummies–in Denver. Mom took us to Denver’s Museum of Science and Nature. We saw real mummies from ancient Egypt.
Egyptian Mummies in Denver
Let’s go in the room of mummies.
Why did the Egyptians mummify bodies? In the afterlife the deceased would join the god Osiris.
Osiris
The person was said to become an Osiris.
Here is the mummy of a poor lady.
Mummy and coffin of a poor woman.
But, how did the Egyptians mummify bodies? In 4 steps. First the internal organs were removed. The priests removed most organs through a cut on the person’s left side. The heart was not removed, as the heart was the site of wisdom and intelligence. The brain was extracted through the nose with long hooks. Second, the body was dried. During the mummification process, items that the deceased may need were assembled.
Some of things needed for the journey to the afterlife.
These items were to comfort him and help in his journey to the afterlife. The body was laid on a bed of natron, a natural salt, during the drying stage. The body was dried for 40 days. Third, the body was wrapped in linen provided by the family. The quality and quantity of the linen varied by the wealth of the family. Amulets and scarabs were often put in the linen. Fourth, the mummy was placed in the coffin and was ready for a proper funeral and burial.
New coffins–ready for a mummy
This mummification process took 70 days.
Until 1946 tourists to Egypt could buy mummies as souvenirs of their trip. In 1904 a businessman from Pueblo, Colorado purchased these mummies. They are in Denver on loan from Pueblo’s Rosemount Museum.
The hieroglyphs with this coffin lid say this man was a scribe at the temple of the god Amun in the city of Thebes.
Well preserved coffin lid
The high quality of the carpentry and paintings indicate he was a respected and wealthy man. The paintings have been well preserved for the past 3,000 years, but some parts of the lid have fallen off.
What did these people look like when they were alive?
How they may have looked when alive.
From the skulls, this is how the scientists believe they looked.
These mummies are fascinating, but we ducks don’t think we want to be mummies. You would like to see this exhibit. If you don’t live near Denver, visit an exhibit near you. It is fun to be a tourist in your own town. We hope you try it soon and often.
Colorado Traveling Ducks 