---
title: "Mummification Step by Step"
description: "Describe the step-by-step process of mummification: the body was washed, internal organs were removed and placed in canopic jars, the body was dried with natron salt for 40 days, then wrapped in linen"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/mummification-step-by-step-mt_cJ8CeyRKKs
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/mummification-step-by-step-mt_cJ8CeyRKKs.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Mummification Step by Step

Describe the step-by-step process of mummification: the body was washed, internal organs were removed and placed in canopic jars, the body was dried with natron salt for 40 days, then wrapped in linen bandages with amulets tucked between the layers, and finally placed in a decorated coffin (sarcophagus)

Subject: History · Area: Ancient Egypt · Ages 7 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/mummification-step-by-step-mt_cJ8CeyRKKs

## Ready when they can

- List the main steps of mummification in the correct order
- Explain the purpose of canopic jars and what was stored in them
- Describe why mummification was performed (to preserve the body for the afterlife)

## Lesson: Mummification Step by Step

Ancient Egyptians believed a person needed their body in the afterlife. So priests worked for many weeks to turn a body into a mummy, following the same careful steps every time.

*(drawing: These are the main steps, in order. Drying the body with natron salt took the longest: 40 days.)*

**Example.** First, priests washed the body clean. Then they removed the organs: the lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines each went into its own canopic jar, so they could be kept safe. The heart stayed inside the body, because Egyptians thought it held a person's feelings and memories.

**Tip.** After the body dried out with natron salt for 40 days, priests wrapped it in strips of linen. They tucked small charms called amulets between the layers to protect the person in the afterlife. Finally, the mummy was placed in a decorated coffin, called a sarcophagus.

**Recap.** Making a mummy took careful steps: wash, remove organs into canopic jars, dry with natron, wrap with amulets, then rest in a sarcophagus for the afterlife.

## Practice

24 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Egyptian Gods and Goddesses](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/egyptian-gods-and-goddesses-mt_B1ATUEVNPz)
- [Egyptian Gods and the Afterlife](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/egyptian-gods-and-the-afterlife-mt_bvxkT1nepy)
- [Skeletons & Muscles](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/skeletons-and-muscles-mt_g4YSiOCS8g)
- [Vocabulary: ancient egypt](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/vocabulary-ancient-egypt-mt_szw1Ln490b)

## Opens up

- [Judgement of the Dead](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/judgement-of-the-dead-mt_8qQ2IosZZw)