Mummification : Egyptian Burial Process

Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, their soul split into many parts that continued on separately in the after life. Three parts that are commonly talked about are the ba, akh, and ka. The most important of the three for the purpose of this writing is the ka which is defined as the life force, or what we would refer to as the soul.
It was believed that this part of the soul would live for eternity in the tomb where the body was buried, but in order for it to survive, the body of the deceased needed to be preserved in order for the ka to inhabit it and live eternally. If the body was not preserved well, the ka would have no body to live in and the soul would not be reborn in the afterlife.
In order to preserve the bodies of the dead, Ancient Egyptians used the process which is known as mummification. The process, from start to finish, lasted for 70 days. After death, the body was taken to an embalming workshop where the process would begin. First, the body was purified by the washing of the body and removal of hair. Then, the organs would be taken out, except for the heart which was the seat of the soul which must remain in the body for judgment purposes, dried, and placed in special canopic jars. The brain was also removed by pulling it out through the nose.
After removal of the organs, the body was covered with a powder that helped to dry it out and later wrapped in linen strips and covered with a linen shroud, which was sort of like a blanket or cloak. When the body was ready to be buried, it was placed in a coffin, usually stone or wood, that were decorated. When the funeral was about to take place, a priest would perform the Opening of the Mouth ritual which was intended to open up the senses for the afterlife.
Before the tomb was closed for the last time, items of significance were placed in the tomb for the enjoyment of consumption of the deceased in the afterlife. Food, clothing, jewels, furniture, dishes, and other items the deceased would need in the after life were some of the things left for the dead.
Although our culture, depending on religious beliefs and other variables, has some sort of burial ritual, I find it fascinating how much emphasis was based on the preservation of the body for the afterlife. The Egyptians believed that if the body was not recognizable by the ka because it had decayed even slightly, the soul would not recognize its own body and subsequently would be unable to live in the afterlife. Today, we may bury our loved ones with some of their most valued possessions, such as jewelry or other mementos of the past, but we do not necessarily do it because we believe they will need them in the afterlife.

My information was obtained from the following sites:
www.encarta.msn.com
www.neferchichi.com/mummies.html
www.egyptologyonline.com/mummification.htm