How To Make An Egyptian Mummy: Step Six – Graeco-Roman Mummies
The ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for nearly 3,000 years and created mummies for nearly that entire time. Mummification began as a simple process of burying the dead in shallow, sandy graves and graduated to the complex process outlined in the previous chapters of How To Make An Egyptian Mummy. The process of mummification evolved until it became the “perfect process” that was described in Herodotus’ writing. By that time, the “perfect process” was becoming a lost art, as mummification was continuing to change with the times (http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/methods.htm).
The Third Intermediate period (170-712 BC) saw the beginnings of some of the most drastic changes in the mummification process. While the majority of the “perfect process” was still being used at this time, the death masks of the mummies had become nearly extinct, though the coffins had become more intricate and life-like. In place of the masks was padding placed in the cheeks of the mummy and glass eyes replacing the real eyes. The stuffing of the cheeks gave the mummies a more life-like look instead of the shrunken cheeks of earlier types of mummies. The glass eyes gave the mummies the appearance of actually able to see. Occasionally the embalmers would overstuff the cheeks, which caused the skin to crack after the natron was applied (http://library.thinkquest.org/C0121761/42.htm).
The process of embalming a Graeco-Roman mummy was usually more careless than the dynastic mummifications. During the early Graeco-Roman period the internal organs were removed, preserved using natron, then returned to the body. This practice fell out of favor in the later Graeco-Roman period. During this period, it was not a common practice to have even one coffin, let alone the numerous coffins that were expected during the dynastic periods. Instead, the Graeco-Roman embalmers found they could make their mummies aesthetically pleasing my wrapping them in intricate geometric patterns. These complex wrappings were often accompanied by death masks (http://mutnodjmetsmusings.blogspot.com/2006/10/egyptian-mummies_116205551382121887.html).
The Graeco-Roman mummies were hardly the best-preserved mummies in the history of ancient Egypt. Despite this fact, this period produced a number of beautiful forms used in mummification. Two of the most famous styles of mummification from the Graeco-Roman period include the Golden Mummies and the Fayum mummies (http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/methods.htm).
The Valley of the Golden Mummies has become famous in recent years. When a donkey’s hoof punched through the roof of a series of catacombs filled with mummies sporting gold-gilded masks, it captured the imaginations of millions around the world. These masks are made of what is called cartonnage. This papier-maché-like material lends itself well to making intricate masks without considerable expense. The more expensive the mummification, however, the more intricate the cartonnage mask became, as is seen in the Valley of the Golden Mummies in the Bahariya Oasis (http://www.guardians.net/hawass/Valley_of_the_Golden_Mummies.htm).
The Fayum Oasis is famous for another type of death mask. This type of mask was used elsewhere in the ancient world, but as a great concentration was discovered in the Fayum Oasis, they became know as the Fayum portraits. Often these portraits were painted during life and were sometimes even “aged” as the individual grew older. Two types of paint were used, a wax-based paint known as encaustic and an egg-based paint known as tempera. The finest of the preserved mummy portraits are those painted on wooden boards that were attached to the mummy bundle during the final stages of the wrapping process. Another process used was painting the face of the individual directly unto the linen wrappings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayum_mummy_portraits#Materials_and_techniques).
Mummification was not reserved just for humans during the Graeco-Roman period. Animal mummifications were extremely popular at this time as well. While pets were occasionally mummified, such as cats and dogs, mummies of sacred animals were far more popular. Mummies of a sacred animals such as an ibis of the god Thoth, a falcon of the god Horus, a cat of the goddess Bastet, or even a crocodile of the god Sobek have been found throughout Egypt. 
The wrappings used for these sacred animals were just as intricate as the wrappings used on humans. These animal mummies were often purchased from temples by common people to offer to the appropriate god or goddess (http://egyptian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/animal_mummies). X-rays of these ready-made offerings have revealed that many people were deceived when purchasing these mummies. Many of these mummies had only a bone or two from the animal that was supposed to be mummified. Some animal mummies were, in actuality, filled only with stuffing (http://www.animalmummies.com/learningfiles/fakes.html).
© 2009, Page Strong. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Comments