Ancient Egyptians believed in an after-life. For this purpose, mummification was important in order to preserve their bodies after death. Here in Egypt, the most famous mummies are found, and many of them are more than 3000 years old. To mummify a body, embalmers had to remove the internal organs first. To preserve the skin, they rubbed it with palm oil and dried it in a special kind of salt called 'natron'. Afterwards, the body was unrapped and sealed, getting ready for the tomb. Preserving the face was important but difficult, because they had to remove the brain. So, instead of cutting the head open to remove it, they inserted hooks through the nose.