...The first step for a classic mummification involved a careful incision in the cadaver and the removal of the internal organs, which deteriorate quickly. The skin and hair were cut away from the corpse, and major muscles were removed. The brain was removed through an opening cut in the skull or by hooking it out through the foremen magnum (the opening at the base of the skull). All this was done without metal knives. The embalmers used sharpened stones and shells and the sharpened beaks of pelicans. We have found a number of these beaks in grave sites. After 5,000 years they are still sharp, strong, and effective tools...
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