Egyptian Mummies and Canopic Jars: Free KS2 History Worksheet

Why did the Ancient Egyptians make mummies?

The Egyptians believed that a person was made up of more than just their body. They thought each person also had a spirit, and that the spirit needed to recognise and return to its body in the afterlife. If the body decayed, they feared the spirit would be lost forever. Mummification was therefore a religious act: by drying and preserving the body, embalmers hoped to keep their loved one safe for eternity. The whole process took around seventy days. Embalmers removed the organs, dried the body with a natural salt called natron for about forty days, then wrapped it in many layers of linen. The brain was pulled out through the nose and thrown away, because the Egyptians did not think it mattered. Children usually find that detail memorable, and it helps them see that every step had a reason in Egyptian belief.

What were the four canopic jars for?

During mummification, embalmers removed the organs that would otherwise rot first. The lungs, stomach, intestines and liver were each dried and placed in one of four special containers called canopic jars. The heart was usually left inside the body, because the Egyptians believed it was the centre of thought and feeling and would be needed in the afterlife. A common mix-up is to think the heart went into a jar too. Each jar was protected by one of the four sons of the god Horus, and the lids showed their heads: Imsety with a human head guarded the liver, Hapy with a baboon head guarded the lungs, Duamutef with a jackal head guarded the stomach, and Qebehsenuef with a falcon head guarded the intestines. On the sheet the jars appear in that order, from left to right. Older jars often had four human-headed lids; the animal heads became common later.

The painted coffin and the journey to the afterlife

Once wrapped, a mummy was placed inside a decorated coffin, sometimes within several nested coffins. These coffins were brightly painted with protective symbols, spells and images of gods such as Osiris, ruler of the underworld, and Anubis, the jackal-headed god of embalming. The Egyptians believed the dead person faced a journey through the underworld, ending with the 'weighing of the heart' ceremony, where the heart was balanced against a feather representing truth and justice. The paintings, jewellery and goods buried alongside the body were all meant to help and protect the dead person on this journey. Talking about the coffin alongside the canopic jars gives children a fuller picture of Egyptian burial beliefs.

How to use this worksheet at home or in class

Before your child starts, look together at photographs of real canopic jars; the British Museum's online collection has several sets. While they colour, ask them to name the animal on each lid and say which organ it guarded, using the list above. The written questions check the key words: mummification, natron, canopic jars, the heart and the afterlife. The last question asks why the Egyptians preserved bodies, so listen for an answer that mentions the spirit needing its body. Another common mix-up is that every mummy went into a pyramid: pyramids were built for early kings, and most Egyptians were buried in much simpler tombs. For an extension, your child could find out about the weighing of the heart or design a pattern for a coffin.

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