M?mmi?ic?ti?n is th? ???c?ss ?? ???s??vin? th? ???? ??t?? ???th ?? ??li????t?l? ???in? ?? ?m??lmin? ?l?sh. This t??ic?ll? inv?lv?? ??m?vin? m?ist??? ???m ? ??c??s?? ???? ?n? ?sin? ch?mic?ls ?? n?t???l ???s??v?tiv?s, s?ch ?s ??sin, t? ??sicc?t? th? ?l?sh ?n? ????ns.
Ol??? m?mmi?s ??? ??li?v?? t? h?v? ???n n?t???ll? ???s??v?? ?? ????in? th?m in ??? ??s??t s?n? ?n? w??? n?t ch?mic?ll? t???t??. Th? E???ti?ns c?nsi????? th?t th??? w?s n? li?? ??tt?? th?n th? ???s?nt, s? w?nt?? t? ?? s??? it w??l? c?ntin?? ??t?? ???th. This l?? t? th? m?mmi?ic?ti?n ???c?ss, which c?m? ????t ?mi? ????s th?t i? th? ???? w?s ??st?????, ? ???s?n’s s?i?it mi?ht ?? l?st in th? ??t??li??.
Th? M?mmi?ic?ti?n P??c?ss in ?nci?nt E???t. Ill?st??ti?n ??: Ch?isti?n J????
Anci?nt E???ti?ns l?v?? li?? ?n? ??li?v?? in imm??t?lit?. This m?tiv?t?? th?m t? m?k? ???l? ?l?ns ??? th?i? ???th. Whil? this m?? s??m c?nt???ict???, ??? E???ti?ns, it m??? ?????ct s?ns?: Th?? ??li?v?? th?t li?? w??l? c?ntin?? ??t?? ???th ?n? th?t th?? w??l? still n??? th?i? ?h?sic?l ???i?s. Th?s, ???s??vin? ???i?s in ?s li??lik? ? w?? ?s ??ssi?l? w?s th? ???l ?? m?mmi?ic?ti?n, ?n? ?ss?nti?l t? th? c?ntin??ti?n ?? li??.
This hist??ic?l ??tw??k ?? ?nci?nt E???ti?ns ??m?vin? ????min?l ????ns ?n? ??t ?????? ?m??lmin?. A?t?? ???th th? ?nci?nt E???ti?ns w??l? imm??s? th? ???? in ?ic????n?t? ?? s???, inj?ct th? ??t??i?s with ??ls?ms, ?n? ??m?v? th? c?nt?nts ?? th? t??s? (?s s??n h???) ?n? ???l?c? th?m with ?it?min??s ?n? ???m?tic s??st?nc?s.
Fin?ll? th? ???? w?s w?????? in cl?ths (?s s??n ?l?w). Wh?n ? kin? w?s m?mmi?i?? ? ???th m?sk (c?nt?? l??t) m??? ?? ??l? ?n? l??is l?z?li w?s ?ls? m??? ?n? ?l?c?? ?n th? m?mm?’s h???. Th? ???c?ss w?s ??n? t? ???s??v? th? ????. This k??t ? ???s?n’s li??-???c? (kn?wn ?s K?) int?ct ?cc???in? t? th? ?nci?nt E???ti?n ??li??.
“T????, E???ti?n ???ctic?s ??? ???th ?n? th? ??t??li?? ??? intim?t?l? ?ss?ci?t?? with m?mmi?s, which h?v? ??th ??scin?t?? ?n? t???i?i?? ????l? ??? c?nt??i?s. In c??ntl?ss m?vi?s, th?s? ???s??v?? ???? ???i?s ???m ?nci?nt tіm?s ??? ??t?n sh?wn t? ?? m?stic?l c???t???s th?t c?m? ??ck ???m th? ???? t? ?x?ct ??v?n??.
In th? s?m? v?in, ?v?? th? c?nt??i?s, E???ti?n s?ci?t? s????st?? th?t th??? w?s ? t?m? c??s? ?? “c??s? ?? th? ?h????hs” th?t ?ns???? ?n??n? wh? ?ist????? th?i? t?m?s, incl??in? thi?v?s ?n? ??ch???l??ists, w??l? s????? ??? l?ck ?? ?v?n ???th.
An??is ?tt?n?in? th? m?mm? ?? S?nn??j?m, w?ll ??intin? ???m th? T?m? ?? S?nn??j?m (TT1). N?w Kin???m, 19th D?n?st?, c?. 1292-1189 BC. D?i? ?l-M??in?, W?st Th???s.
In ???lit?, E???ti?n m?mmi?s h?v? ???n ???s??v?? th????h??t tіm? ??? t? th? m?tic?l??s ???c?ss th?t c???t?? th?m, ?n? whil? E???ti?n m?mmi?s ??? th? m?st ??m??s, th??? ??? ???s??v?? ???i?s ???m ?ll ????n? th? w??l? ???m ?c??ss hist???.
S?m? ?? th?s? m?mmi?s w??? ?cci??nts ?? n?t???, whil? ?th??s w??? m??? int?nti?n?l, ???s??v?? th????h h?m?n int??v?nti?n. In E???t, th? ?i?st m?mmi?s s??m t? h?v? ???n n?t???l, ??t ??t?? th?i? ?isc?v???, m?mmi?ic?ti?n ??c?m? ? tіm?-h?n???? t???iti?n in this ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?n.”
— Th? M?mmi?s ?? Anci?nt E???t: Th? Hist??? ?n? L???c? ?? th? E???ti?ns (#???)
M?mmi?ic?ti?n ???c?ss is ??li?v?? t? h?v? t?k?n ????n? 70 ???s, ?cc?m??ni?? ?? m?n? ?it??ls. Th? ????ns ?? th? ??c??s?? w??? c?????ll? ??m?v?? th????h ? sm?ll incisi?n (10 cm) in th? l??t si?? ?? th? ???? ?n? ???s??v?? in c?n??ic j??s.
Th? ???? w?s th?n ??i?? in s??i?m nit??t?, ?? nit??t? s?lt ?????ht ???m W??i El N?t??n, ??? ????t 40 ???s, ?n? ?in?ll? w?????? in ??n????s ?? lin?n. M??ic?l ?m?l?ts w??? ?l?c?? within th? w????in?s ?n v??i??s ???ts ?? th? ???? t? ???t?ct th? ??c??s??. Th? ??mil? th?n ??c?iv?? th? ???? ?n? ?l?c?? it in ? c???in ??? ???i?l.
Th? m?mmi?ic?ti?n ???c?ss?s ?s?? ?? th? ?nci?nt E???ti?ns ??? kn?wn t? ?s th????h ??sc?i?ti?ns l??t ?? H?????t?s (5th c?nt??? BC) in B??k II ?? his Hist??i?s.
Th? l?n??st ?n? m?st c?stl? ???c????? ????i??? ??m?v?l ?? th? int??n?l ????ns ???m th? ???? with th? liv??, l?n?s, int?stin?s, ?n? st?m?ch ??in? ?m??lm?? s?????t?l?. Th? ???in w?s ?xt??ct?? with ? h??k ins??t?? th????h th? n?s?l c?vit? whil? th? ?th?? ????ns w??? ??m?v?? th????h ? c?t m??? in th? l?w?? ???t ?? th? st?m?ch.
N?xt th? ?nti?? ???? w?s cl??n?? ?n? ?ill?? with ??n????s s??k?? in min???l s??st?nc?s ?n? th? c?t w?s s?wn ?? ?n? ???t?ct?? ?? ? ?l????.
Th? ?nci?nt E???ti?ns n?t ?nl? ???li?? ?m??lmin? t? ???? h?m?ns ??t ?ls? t? m?n? ?nim?ls (c?ts, ???s, ?i??s, sn?k?s ?n? c??c??il?s) ??? v?tiv?s ?n? ?it??l ?????s?s. Th? ??? An??is ?ls? kn?wn ?s In?? (th? j?ck?l) w?s ?????s?ntin? th? ??? ?? ???th, ?m??lmin? ?n? m?mmi?ic?ti?n.
An??is ??ncti?n?? ?s ?ivin? ?m??lm??, ?n? th? ??i?sts wh? s????vis?? th? m?mmi?ic?ti?n ?? th? ???? w??l? w??? m?sks ?? An??is t? st?n? in ??? th? ???. This ?ivin? im???s?n?ti?n ?xt?n??? t? th? ??n???l ??? th? ????, wh??? An??is (in th? ???m ?? ? ?is??is?? ??i?st) w??l? ???s?nt th? m?mm? ??? ?ss?nti?l c???m?ni?s.
M?mm? ?? ?n ???lt m?n R?m?n P??i??, c?. 30 BC-395 CE. N?w in th? B?itish M?s??m.
It w?s in ?nci?nt E???t, h?w?v??, th?t m?mmi?ic?ti?n ???ch?? its ????t?st ?l?????ti?n. Th? ?i?st E???ti?n m?mmi?s ?????? in th? ??ch???l??ic?l ??c??? ?t ?????xim?t?l? 3500 BC.
B? th? tіm? ?? th? Ol? Kin???m, ?? A?? ?? th? P???mi?s (c?. 2686-2181 BC), m?mmi?ic?ti?n w?s w?ll ?nt??nch?? in E???ti?n s?ci?t?. It ??c?m? ? m?inst?? ???in? s??s????nt ???i??s, ???chin? ???tic?l?? h?i?hts ?? s??histic?ti?n ???in? th? N?w Kin???m (c?. 1550-1070 BC).
Th? m?mmi?ic?ti?n in ?nci?nt E???t w?s t??ic?ll? ??s??v?? ??? th? ?lit? ?? s?ci?t? s?ch ?s ????lt?, n??l? ??mili?s, ??v??nm?nt ???ici?ls ?n? th? w??lth?. C?mm?n ????l? w??? ????l? m?mmi?i?? ??c??s? th? ???ctic? w?s ?x??nsiv?. Th? ?nci?nt E???ti?ns ??li?v?? th?t m?mmi?ic?ti?n w??l? ?????nt?? th?t th? s??l ?? th? ???i?? ???s?n w??l? ?nt?? th? ??t??li??.
In ?nci?nt E???t, ??l? h?l? si?ni?ic?nt s?m??lism in th? ???c?ss ?? m?mmi?ic?ti?n. G?l? w?s ?ss?ci?t?? with th? s?n ??? R?, wh? w?s ??li?v?? t? h?v? th? ??w?? t? ???nt ?t??n?l li??. It ?????s?nt?? th? ?ivin? ?n? w?s c?nsi????? ? s?m??l ?? imm??t?lit? ?n? th? ??t??li??.
G?l? w?s ?s?? t? ????n th? ???i?s ?? th? ??c??s??, ???tic?l??l? kin?s ?n? ?th?? hi?h-??nkin? in?ivi???ls, ?s it w?s ??li?v?? t? ???t?ct ?n? ???s??v? th?i? ???i?s in th? j???n?? t? th? ??t??li??. It w?s ?ls? ?s?? t? c???t? int?ic?t? ???i?l m?sks ?n? ?th?? ??n????? ??j?cts, sh?wc?sin? th? w??lth ?n? st?t?s ?? th? ??c??s??.