It's a myth that ancient Egyptians pulled mummy brains out by the nose — they likely scrambled them instead, says an expert who tried it

When Egyptians prepared a dead body for the afterlife, they probably didn't use hooks to remove brain tissue.

Stephen Buckley, an expert studying mummification, said that experiments suggest that they probably used a more effective method.

Buckley told Insider that he did experiments on sheep to see if it was possible to remove the brain.

The work was inspired by a 1969 academic paper by British Egyptologist Filce Leek.

It was difficult to dig out the brain in pieces.

He told Insider that hooking it out in pieces is not very efficient.

He said it could be slowly removed as small parts of the brain stuck to the metal hook. It's easier to remove the brain if youquify it.

Buckley said in a later interview that he could pour out the brain if he whisked it with a hook for a short time.

It's not very nice, but that's a better way to remove the brain.

S. Saleem and Z. Nuwass

Buckley said that sometimes the brains were left in.

He said that the brain was left in place so you didn't have to remove it.

The Egyptians were aware that removing organs slowed the decay of the body.

Egyptians would have their guts, lungs, and other internal organs removed and preserved if they could afford it. They were either put in jars or put back in the body.

The brain could be left in the body to be mummified.

The brain tissue of Pharaoh Amenhotep I, Queen Tiye, and Pharaoh Thutmose I were all found.