Egyptian Embalmers Possibly Removed Hearts

When mummification became accessible to Egypt’s middle and lower classes, some embalmers removed the hearts from commoners’ bodies, possibly preventing them from reaching the afterlife. Ancient Egyptians considered the heart essential to a person’s identity and judgment after death, and it was usually preserved for the ritual weighing of the heart. Researchers have suggested that removing it may have been a way of spiritually disadvantaging commoners and preserving a privileged position for the elite in the afterlife.

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