Embalming

Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them with embalming chemicals in modern times to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for viewing as part of the funeral ceremony or keep them preserved for medical purposes in an anatomical laboratory. The three goals of embalming are sanitization, presentation, and preservation, with restoration being an important additional factor in some instances. Performed successfully, embalming can help preserve the body for many years. Embalming has a long, cross-cultural history, with many cultures giving the embalming processes religious meaning.

Animal remains can also be embalmed by similar methods, though embalming is distinct from taxidermy. Embalming preserves the body while keeping it intact, whereas taxidermy is the recreation of an animal's form often using only the creature's skin, fur or feathers mounted on an anatomical form.

History

While the term embalming is used for both ancient and modern methods of preserving a deceased person, there is very little connection between the modern-day practices of embalming and ancient methods in terms of techniques or final aesthetic results.

The Chinchorro culture in the Atacama desert of present-day Chile and Peru is among the earliest cultures known to have performed artificial mummification, as early as 5000⁠–⁠6000 BCE. The earliest known evidence of artificial preservation in Europe was found in Osorno (Spain) – approximately 5000-year-old human bones covered in cinnabar for preservation – however embalming remained unusual in Europe up to the time of the Roman Empire.

Evidence of embalming practices in Egypt date to at least 3500 BCE. Ritual mummification, including embalming, continued to develop into a standardized practice in the dynastic period, and typically involved removing organs, ridding the body of moisture, and covering the body with natron, a mixture of desiccating salts found naturally in the Wadi El Natrun west of the Nile Delta.