What Happens To Eyes During The Mummification Process?

The mummification process is perhaps one of the most talked about aspects of Ancient Egyptian life. It highlights the morbid curiosity shared by those of us alive at a time when funerary practices have gone in a different direction. It’s also a skewed view, offering us insights into the death rituals of only the ancient very rich.

The complex process of mummification is one we’re still trying to understand, not least because trying to step into the mindset of people living thousands of years ago is tricky when you’re burdened with the cultural norms of the 21st century. We know a bit about what they did to their skin, we know a bit about what they did to their organs, but that got us wondering – what happened to the eyes?

We sat down with Egyptologist Dr Campbell Price, Curator of Egypt and Sudan at the Manchester Museum, UK, and author of Brief Histories: Ancient Egypt, to find out. And I must say, I wasn’t expecting the onions.