Why did it take 70 days for mummification in ancient Egypt?
   Dinora, Houston, Texas

Dr. dig responds:
The ancient Egyptians don't tell us why it took exactly 70 days to mummify a body. Mummification was a practical way of preserving dead bodies. It was also a magical or religious ritual that would bring the dead back to life. The practical aspect involved removing the parts of the body that would rot, drying the hollow body in natron salt, and then bandaging the body. Archaeologists have conducted experiments on animals and have discovered that it is possible to speed this process up. It is the drying that takes time, but there is not much difference between a body that has been mummified for 70 days and one that has been mummified for 65. It is very probable that 70 days was chosen as a magically important number that would help the dead person. The length of time certainly allowed the body to dry completely. It also allowed time for the family to mourn and prepare for the funeral (which might involve finishing a partially-built tomb). Mummification applied only to wealthy Egyptians, of course. Those who could not afford mummification were buried soon after death.