Why did the ancient Egyptians use canopic jars?

The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul of the deceased person needed to have a physical body in order to journey into the afterlife. To preserve the body, it needed to be mummified, which involved removing the internal organs and treating the body with preservatives.

The canopic jars were used to store the organs of the deceased during the mummification process. The jars were made of stone or pottery and were typically decorated with the heads of the four sons of Horus, who were believed to protect the organs of the deceased. Each jar was used to hold a different organ, with the liver being placed in the jar of Imsety, the lungs in the jar of Hapy, the stomach in the jar of Duamutef, and the intestines in the jar of Qebehsenuef.

The canopic jars were an important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices and were believed to be essential for the journey of the soul into the afterlife.