Чому в єгипетських мумій часто зберігали серце?
In ancient Egyptian belief, the heart was central to a person’s identity, mind, and memory. After death it was weighed in the judgment hall of the afterlife, so it was meant to remain with the person. In many mummifications, the brain was removed through the nose and not preserved, while the heart was usually left in the chest.
Practices varied across periods and individuals. The heart was sometimes removed, treated, and returned to the body, and mummy studies show different methods of brain treatment. It is therefore more accurate to describe a common tendency than an absolute rule. “Scraped out and discarded” also oversimplifies the technique: the brain was often removed through the nasal cavity using an instrument.