Delve into the secrets of mummification! Egyptians believed that death was a stage in a process of rebirth so it was crucial that the body be well preserved for the deceased's use in the afterlife. First, the organs were removed then the body was soaked in a bath of natron (sodium carbonate) for some 40 days to dry it out. Finally, the corpse was wrapped in linen strips and placed in its sarcophagus.