The Egyptians believed in an afterlife. When someone died they believed that the person’s “Ka”, or double, lived on. Therefore, the Egyptians would preserve a person’s body, so that the “Ka” could bring the body back to life in the afterlife.
The bodies of the dead would be embalmed. The internal organs, such as the intestines, stomach, liver and lungs, were removed and placed in jars called canopic jars. The heart was left in the body to be weighed in the afterlife. The body would then be dried out with natron crystals. Once it was dry, the body was wrapped in linen bandages.
Then the body could be placed in its coffin. If someone was wealthy, they could have several, highly decorated layers to their coffin. Pharaohs were placed in tombs with their canopic jars, weapons, clothes, furniture and jewellery.
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