A Memo From Pharaoh



Introduction

The earliest ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert. The heat and dryness of the sand dehydrated the bodies quickly, creating lifelike and natural 'mummies'.Later, the ancient Egyptians began burying their dead in coffins to protect them from wild animals in the desert. However, they realized that bodies placed in coffins decayed when they were not exposed to the hot, dry sand of the desert. The ancient Egyptians believed that when someone died, their soul left their body. The soul would then return and be reunited with the body after it was buried. However, the soul needed to be able to find and recognize the body in order to live forever.

Over many centuries, the ancient Egyptians developed a method of preserving bodies so they would remain lifelike. The process included embalming the bodies and wrapping them in strips of linen. Today we call this process mummification. 

The Task

As the process of mummification evolved over the years, many aspects took on religious significance for the Egyptian people. As Egypt grew in size and power, there was a need to ensure that mummification was following a standardized format across the empire. You will play the role of high priest, or priestess, to the Pharaoh. By royal edict, you have been ordered to issue a memo outlining the exact procedures that must be followed during mummifications.To accomplish your task, you must first study the steps in the embalming procedure then write a concise business memo to be issued to all Egyptian funeral homes. 

The Process

Before you can instruct other undertakers in the proper steps of mummification, you must first be clear on the process yourself.On a blank sheet of paper, outline all the steps in the process from death to the moment when the person’s heart will be judged for entrance into paradise.Once you have completed your research you must write a formal memo from the Pharaoh to all the Royal Mummifiers. The memo must be typed, strictly follow the guide included with this assignment, and be completely free of grammatical errors. 

The Resource

There are a variety of websites that go into extremely graphic detail about the mummification process. Since you are on an extremely limited time frame, you should draw your research from this site because it is the best organized.

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/

The Project Requirements

Upon completion of this assignment, the follow items must be turned into the teacher;