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How were canopic jars used in ancient Egyptian embalming?

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surgeon; American Civil War — embalming An embalming surgeon at work on a soldier's body during the American Civil War.

In ancient Egyptian mummification, canopic jars were specialized vessels used to store the embalmed viscera (internal organs) removed from a body during the funerary process.12

These jars were typically crafted from wood, stone, pottery, or faience. During the most elaborate embalming procedures, vital organs—such as the intestines—were surgically removed, washed in palm wine, and placed inside these vases, which were then filled with herbs to aid in preservation.12

The design of the jars evolved significantly over time:
* Old Kingdom: Jars featured plain lids.1
* Middle Kingdom: Vessels were decorated with sculpted human heads.1
* New Kingdom (19th Dynasty onwards): Lids were fashioned to represent the four sons of the god Horus: the jackal-headed Duamutef, falcon-headed Qebehsenuf, human-headed Imset, and baboon-headed Hapy.1

By the 21st to 25th dynasties, the practice shifted toward returning embalmed viscera to the body, leading to the creation of "dummy" canopic jars—vessels that retained the symbolic shape of the sons of Horus but lacked an interior cavity.1