Anpu was also known for being the god of embalming. Embalming is a process in which the body of the deceased takes longer to decompose. Anpu was the symbol for many things to the Ancient Egyptians such as jackals and being part of the embalming process. Anpu is known to have the head of jackal or a dog because of the fact that dogs in Egypt were said to be protectors of souls and they guided the souls, who did not commit any sins, to eternal life.  Egyptians would embalm the deceased to protect the body of the souls for when they go on into afterlife.  During the embalming process, it is said that priests would wear the head of a jackal, to show that the soul of Anpu was with them so that they would be protected while they tried to achieve afterlife. Anpu provided a sense of protection to the Egyptians, they believed that if the had embalmed the deceased that the body would go with them to the afterlife and if they had made Anpu satisfied with the bodies that they too would be able to live an eternal life like those who had not sinned.  Egyptians deeply believed that they could achieve afterlife if they were to mummify and embalm a person who has not sinned. This caused Egyptian society to primarily focus on mummification and embalming as seen in many tombs of the emperors of Egypt. Every one of them would be embalmed and mummified to the extent that their dogs or cats would also be embalmed so that they could be with their master in the afterlife.  Embalming played a big role in Egyptian society because it provided a way for Anpu to guide the deceased to eternal life.