According to the Smithsonian, the entire mummification process would last 70 days from start to finish. To begin, priests would remove all of the internal organs and store them in special jars and boxes that would be buried alongside the body (and, yes, they really did remove the brain through the nose, per 1999's rendition of The Mummy ). Then, the priests would extract any remaining moisture from the body using what was essentially salt. Only once the body was totally dry (and basically empty) would they start wrapping it up. Using yards upon yards of linen, the priests would wrap the body's appendages separately , layering protective amulets and jewels within the linen as they went.