MUMMY AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE
Photo Paul Abramson

Think mummy - Think ancient Egypt. A mummy is a dead body embalmed or otherwise preserved to protect it from decomposition.

Why would anyone do that?

Dead bodies start smelling pretty fast but back in the days, burial rituals and celebrations could take quite some time. Hence people mummified.

They also did it for spiritual reasons. People believed in an afterlife of some sort and wanted the body to get there unspoiled and intact.

MAKE A MUMMY
There are different recipes to mummify artificially. First, you always want to take out the organs first so they won't rot inside. Why is that?

The body may still look fresh right after death, but the second someone dies the bacteria that were formerly digesting food now start eating the organs themselves. And that is why you always want to remove the organs before mummifying. The pros pull the brains out through the nose, then on to the abdomen.

The removed organs go into jars. The abdomen gets filled up with whatever is handy and fits the cavity, and then sewn up.

Now you can go about embalming for which you need preferably resin. You also obviously need linen bandages to wrap the whole thing up. Spices etc are optional.

Before the wrapping, the Egyptians covered the bodies for several weeks with natron, which has an anti-bacterial effect and absorbs water.

Another way to preserve dead bodies is by putting them into a bath of vinegar (think pickles) or alcohol. Admiral Nelson's body was transported in a barrel of brandy.

WHO ALL WERE THE MUMMY MAKERS?
The Egyptians were professionals when it came to mummies, of course. But the Incas mummified as well and so did the Chinese. More mummies have been found on the Torres Islands, the Aleutian Islands, and the Canary Islands.
 

IS THIS QUEEN HATSHEPSUT?
People seem to believe it is. Read the New York Times article.
Photo: Discovery Channel

FREAKY MUMMY FACTS
It's the year 740 AD and you don't feel so well. You go to the pharmacist around the corner and instead of Aspirin he gives you Mummy. That's right. Throughout the Middle Ages people sold ground mummies. Ah, those were the days.

By the way, the Egyptians mummified animals as well. And these upright people here offer to mummify your pet, check it out. And .... They do people too! Put $67,000 on the counter and aunt Abby stays forever in your living room.
 

Tutankhamun (in front)

See more under Ancient Egyptians.