Stephen Buckley, an archaeologist and analytical chemist at the University of York, conducted experiments that showed that the ancient Egyptians did not remove the brain from the nose during mummification. they are telling this business insider.
The ancient Egyptians are believed to have removed the brains of corpses piece by piece using a long hook inserted through the nose during mummification. Egyptologist Buckley’s experiments on sheep showed that it was neither easy nor efficient to pull the brain out of the nose with a hook. Buckley has shown that this is much easier to do by first liquefying the brain and then literally pouring it out. To do this, you need to “beat” the brain with a hook for 20 seconds.
The ancient Egyptians didn’t know about germs, but they understood that removing organs slowed down the body’s decay. Sometimes the internal organs were removed and buried in special jars, and sometimes they were put back in place by mummification. The scientist noted that even in fairly well-preserved mummies the brain is sometimes found. For example, the brains of Pharaoh Amenhotep and his wife Tia were preserved.