It’s not a myth. The ancient Egyptians really did remove the brain through the nose when preparing a body for mummification. And yes—they did it quite literally.
The image of a mummy might inspire awe, mystery, or even fear. But behind the linen wrappings and golden death masks lies one of the most bizarre and chilling procedures of the ancient world: the extraction of the brain through the nasal cavity. Strange as it may sound, it was standard practice—and done with precision.
The Egyptians believed that to reach the afterlife, the body had to remain intact—at least on the outside. What couldn’t be seen, like the brain, could be removed. In fact, it wasn’t just accepted—it was necessary. Since cracking open the skull with a blade would disfigure the head, they found a more discreet route: through the nose.
Using a long, thin, hook-like instrument, embalmers would insert the tool into the nostril and begin breaking apart the brain, turning it into a mushy mass. This was either drained out through the nostrils or, in more advanced methods, pulled out bit by bit. The skull was then cleaned out and often filled with linen or resin to keep the head from collapsing.
Perhaps the most fascinating detail? The heart, not the brain, was considered the seat of thought, emotion, and the soul. That’s why it was often preserved within the body—while the brain was discarded as useless. A decision that would likely bring modern doctors to tears.
These techniques were mostly reserved for the elite and royalty, where mummification was an art form performed with surgical precision. The less fortunate received a simpler embalming—sometimes with no organ removal at all. Yet for pharaohs and nobles, the process was detailed and sacred.
Greek historian Herodotus described this practice in the 5th century BCE, though evidence shows it had been in use at least a thousand years earlier, during Egypt’s 18th Dynasty.
To our modern sensibilities, the procedure may seem cruel or grotesque. But to the Egyptians, it was an act of love—a preparation for eternity. For them, death was not the end—it was the beginning.
And so, before placing the golden mask over the face of the deceased, they would first pull the brain out through the nose.
