Pharaohs were always mummified because they would become gods
when they died. People who had enough money would be mummified
so that they could live forever.
Poor people were mummified by being dumped in a tub of natron, a natural salt found in the banks of the river Nile. Cats were always mummified because they were considered sacred animals. Even if the cat's master was not mummified, the cat was. Crocodiles were often mummified as a sacrifice to all the gods. Falcons were mummified as a direct sacrifice to the god Horus.
The head embalmer wore a jackal mask to symbolize that he was an embalmer like the jackal-headed god Anubis. The helpers were commonly the head embalmer's sons, who would take over when the head embalmer died.