[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.70,0:00:13.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Death and taxes are famously inevitable,\Nbut what about decomposition?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.93,0:00:16.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As anyone who's seen a mummy knows,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.56,0:00:21.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ancient Egyptians went to a lot of trouble\Nto evade decomposition.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.86,0:00:26.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, how successful were they?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.04,0:00:28.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Living cells constantly renew themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.90,0:00:32.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Specialized enzymes \Ndecompose old structures,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.27,0:00:35.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the raw materials \Nare used to build new ones.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.61,0:00:38.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what happens when someone dies?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.73,0:00:41.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their dead cells are no longer\Nable to renew themselves,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.59,0:00:45.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but the enzymes \Nkeep breaking everything down.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.18,0:00:47.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So anyone looking to preserve a body
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.80,0:00:52.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,needed to get ahead of those enzymes\Nbefore the tissues began to rot.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.22,0:00:54.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Neurons die quickly,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.30,0:00:57.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so brains were a lost cause\Nto Ancient Egyptian mummifiers,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.100,0:01:01.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is why, according \Nto Greek historian Herodotus,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.60,0:01:06.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they started the process\Nby hammering a spike into the skull,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.05,0:01:09.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mashing up the brain, \Nflushing it out the nose
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.15,0:01:14.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and pouring tree resins into the skull\Nto prevent further decomposition.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.95,0:01:21.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Brains may decay first,\Nbut decaying guts are much worse.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.12,0:01:26.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The liver, stomach and intestines\Ncontain digestive enzymes and bacteria,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.65,0:01:32.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which, upon death, start eating\Nthe corpse from the inside.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.09,0:01:36.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the priests removed the lungs\Nand abdominal organs first.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.68,0:01:39.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was difficult to remove the lungs\Nwithout damaging the heart,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.76,0:01:43.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but because the heart was believed\Nto be the seat of the soul,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.26,0:01:45.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they treated it with special care.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.61,0:01:47.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They placed the visceral organs in jars
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.82,0:01:51.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,filled with a naturally occurring salt\Ncalled natron.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.16,0:01:56.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like any salt, natron can prevent decay \Nby killing bacteria
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.84,0:02:01.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and preventing the body's natural\Ndigestive enzymes from working.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.25,0:02:04.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But natron isn't just any salt.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.78,0:02:07.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's mainly a mixture \Nof two alkaline salts,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.99,0:02:11.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,soda ash and baking soda.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.01,0:02:14.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Alkaline salts are especially\Ndeadly to bacteria.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.81,0:02:19.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they can turn fatty membranes\Ninto a hard, soapy substance,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.49,0:02:22.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thereby maintaining \Nthe corpse's structure.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.84,0:02:25.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After dealing with the internal organs,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.20,0:02:29.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the priest stuffed the body cavity\Nwith sacks of more natron
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.28,0:02:32.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and washed it clean to disinfect the skin.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.70,0:02:37.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then, the corpse was set in a bed\Nof still more natron
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.57,0:02:42.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for about 35 days \Nto preserve its outer flesh.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.52,0:02:44.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the time of its removal,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.41,0:02:47.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the alkaline salts \Nhad sucked the fluid from the body
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.59,0:02:50.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and formed hard brown clumps.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.55,0:02:52.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The corpse wasn't putrid,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.66,0:02:56.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it didn't exactly smell good, either.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.39,0:02:59.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, priests poured tree resin over\Nthe body to seal it,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.86,0:03:04.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,massaged it with a waxy mixture\Nthat included cedar oil,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.33,0:03:06.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then wrapped it in linen.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.99,0:03:10.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Finally, they placed the mummy\Nin a series of nested coffins
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.72,0:03:14.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and sometimes even a stone sarcophagus.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.91,0:03:19.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how successful were \Nthe ancient Egyptians at evading decay?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.68,0:03:24.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On one hand, mummies are definitely not\Nintact human bodies.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.85,0:03:28.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their brains have been mashed up\Nand flushed out,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.83,0:03:32.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their organs have been removed\Nand salted like salami,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.88,0:03:37.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and about half of their remaining\Nbody mass has been drained away.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.37,0:03:41.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Still, what remains \Nis amazingly well-preserved.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.97,0:03:43.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even after thousands of years,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.77,0:03:46.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,scientists can perform autopsies \Non mummies
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.34,0:03:48.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to determine their causes of death,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.68,0:03:52.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and possibly even isolate DNA samples.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.64,0:03:55.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This has given us new information.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.46,0:04:01.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, it seems that air pollution\Nwas a serious problem in ancient Egypt,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.37,0:04:05.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,probably because of indoor fires \Nused to bake bread.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.71,0:04:11.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cardiovascular disease was also common,\Nas was tuberculosis.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.69,0:04:16.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So ancient Egyptians were somewhat\Nsuccessful at evading decay.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.30,0:04:21.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Still, like death, taxes are inevitable.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.21,0:04:26.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When some mummies were transported,\Nthey were taxed as salted fish.