Mummification

Have you ever read about how the Ancient Egyptians mummified their pharaohs?  It was not a simple process.  Let me assure you that following a kit to do a modern-day version is not any simpler, although I am happy not to have to pull any brains through any nostrils.  We are only a couple days into the process, but it is already keeping us busy.  Here are the steps we have completed so far:

1.  The process of methodically mixing the plaster of Paris (with instructions like, "Do Not pour the water into the plaster!"  and, "Work quickly!"), using a paintbrush to make sure plaster gets into the little nose and ear and rib crevices, and implanting sticks into the legs and neck to increase stability were all a little too involved to get any pictures at the time.  Once our good pharaoh was in the mold and "carefully propped upside down somewhere it will not be disturbed for at least 12 hours," I got the first picture.  Introducing: 

 OUR PHARAOH:

2. Next you (as in the mom, since the 6-year-old doing the project cannot quite measure and cut quite like the project requires) measure and cut many, many, many strips of linen.  "Can't they just be ripped," says I.  "No, there must be exactly twelve strips 1/2 inch in length and exactly 4 strips 1/4 inch in length, and we aren't about to give you an extra 1/8 inch to work with," says the instruction book.

3.  Write the Pharaoh's name on each individual strip of linen, on both ends if you plan to be really authentic.  Oh, and by the way, the Pharaoh's name is not "Jo," and it cannot be written in English.  Yes, we're talking hieroglyphics.  Do you remember that some of those strips were 1/4 inch wide?  Again, this is Basia's project that she has been begging to do for weeks.  Again, this particular step was a little tough for her fine motor skills.

TO BE CONTINUED...

(I'm afraid.)