Mummies

    Reading about the mummification process was very interesting. I'd known about some of the details, the removing of the brains, the bandage wrapping, etc. but I didn't realize that there were actually different tiers of mummification depending on your wealth/social status. Obviously the Pharaohs would receive the first class treatment of the careful removal of the organs, the coating of resin, and the painting of facial features.

Going down the social ladder you started getting less treatment, until, if you were a member of the lower class you pretty much got thrown in a tub of Natron, which was a naturally occurring chemical in Egypt, and allowed to 'dry out' for about 70 days, at which point your family would come to collect you for your burial. Reading more about the procedure at http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/methods.htm showed that it actually took several centuries for the Egyptians to perfect the art of making a long-lasting Mummy. Some of the earliest mummies were nothing more than bodies wrapped in linen, then covered with plaster to give them shape. It wasn't until much later in the process that the extended time period, the moisture leaching, organ removal, and linen wrapping became almost an art form. Interestingly, it also appears that towards the end of the Egyptian dynasty, the quality of mummification also severely declined. Almost like there was an influx of 'mummy specialists' that gave little attention to the bodies, but instead focused on quanity.

    The idea of 'preservation' seems to still be prevalent in our society today. While most may have given up on the idea of keeping their current physical body for the next, or after, life, they still place great emphasis on preserving their bodies as long as possible. Instead of painting the face of their youth on a wooden mask, now we have all manner of cosmetic surgery available to try to retain a youthful appearance. While the richer or more powerful people have access to the more expensive procedures, even the poor among us do their best to keep up with a variety of products marketed to maintaining youth.

    This would seem to indicate that a form of culture that has continued on for thousands of years is that we as humans do not want to grow old, at least not past our physical primes. This is indicated by some of the most ancient of stories, where protagonists like Gilgamesh or even Adam and Eve were either in pursuit of eternal life, or once had it but then lost it due to divine retribution. While the morals of those stories seem to teach us that we should not spend our time chasing something that is impossible to have, but rather filling our time with fulfilling pursuits, that is a lesson that is not easily learned.

    A possible lesson we can learn from the ancient Pharaohs and the stories in this week's reading is that the old saying of "you can't take it with you when you go" is most certainly true. How we apply that to our lives is up to us as individuals, but it may help to but some of life's concerns in a better perspective.