The first ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert. However, over the centuries, the ancient Egyptians developed a new method to preserve these bodies so that they remained realistic. The process involves embalming the bodies and wrapping them in linen strips. This process is now called mummification. Throughout this technique, the body is covered and filled with different substances that help preserve the body and body parts from decay. There are many theories regarding what materials are found in mummified bodies and why they are there. Although Sandison and Amaros & Vozenin-Serra share and explain the importance of the substances present in mummification, they use two different materials, studied and analyzed, to clarify the cognition behind their use. While Sandison describes Herodotus' theory that natron was the substance used; Amaros & Vozenin-Serra explain this theory and show evidence of the use of cedar sawdust for embalming by the ancient Egyptians. Quick Summaries of the Articles The article “The Use of Natron in Mummification in Ancient Egypt” by ATSandison begins by explaining that there is still confusion. and uncertainty about the basic technique of mummification. The author also describes the theory stated by the ancient Greek historian; Herodotus. Sandison's detailed description of the mummification process is repeated several times throughout his article due to the fact that there are many different experimental observations on this ancient technique. The article "New Evidence for the Use of Cedar Sawdust for Embalming by the Ancient Egyptians" by Victoria Asensi Amaros and Colette Vozenin-Serra, explains how a team of scientists......in the midst of 'a paper ......during mummification in ancient Egypt. Sandison explains why mummification was so important in Egyptian culture. He also describes that natron was a very important substance used to preserve the body, and offers various recent experiments to prove this. Amaros & Vozenin-Serra provide many scientific facts, found by different anthropologists and historians, which claim that cedar sawdust is one of the main materials used to mummify a body in ancient Egypt. Works Cited Sandison, AT “The Use of Natron in Mummification in Ancient Egypt.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1963), pp. 259-267. JSTOR. Internet. May 1, 2014Amaros, Victoria Asensi & Vozenin-Serra, Colette. "New evidence for the use of cedar sawdust for embalming by the ancient Egyptians". The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 84 (1998), pp. 228-231. JSTOR. Internet. May 1 2014