A mummy is a dead body preserved by drying.
The word "mum" means "wax" in Egyptian, refering to the process of wrapping the corpse in a waxed cloth to stop it rotting.
When a corpse was made into a mummy, it became known as "Sah".
The process was thought to change a corpse into a new body that was "filled with magic".
It was believed that by preserving the body through mummification the spirit (Ka) of the deceased would be able to live again.
The name of the priest in charge of mummification was "hery seshta" (overseer of the mysteries).
He represented the god Anubis.
We know about the process, of making a mummy, from tomb illustrations and from the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus.
The dead body was taken to a place called the House of Beauty, where the embalming would be carried out.
The body was washed, and the brain was pulled out through the nose with an iron hook.
A slit was made in the left side of the body and the liver,lungs,stomach and intestines were removed and put in a special canopic jars. The heart was left in place.
The body was packed with a chemical called natron to dehydrate it. It was left for 40 days and then stuffed with herbs to take away the smell.
The skin was rubbed with ointment and coated with resin.
The mummy was wrapped in linen bandages.
Amulets and jewellery were wrapped into the bandages to help the deceased in the afterlife.
A painted mask was sometimes put over the mummy's head.
In the case of a king this could be spectacularly ornate.
The mummy was then placed in the coffin, ready for the funeral.
There had been attempts at preserving royal corpses during the Old Kingdom, but the practice became common during the Middle Kingdom and reached a peak during the New Kingdom.
