Mummy coffin of Petisis (-0710/-0680) by UnknownRijksmuseum van Oudheden
When people think of mummies, they often think of ancient Egypt, perhaps because of rich grave goods buried with Egyptian mummies, and the wealth of information left in hieroglyphs. But mummification has been practised all across the globe for many thousands of years.
Canopic jars of NeskhonsBritish Museum
How are mummies made?
Techniques vary between cultures, but essentially, the dead body is dried by weather or chemicals to prevent decay. In ancient Egypt they sped up this process by removing the internal organs, and storing them in so-called canopic jars, which were buried alongside the mummy.
Mummy of Ukhhotep, son of Hedjpu Mummy of Ukhhotep, son of Hedjpu (ca. 1981–1802 B.C.)The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Are you my mummy?
But where does the name come from? Mummy comes from the Latin word mumia borrowed from the Arabic mumiya. This refers to the bitumen used to help preserve the bodies of Egyptian mummies. The Egyptians collected this naturally-occuring substance from the nearby Dead Sea.
Tut-Ankh-Amen Pharoah Xviii (1925)LIFE Photo Collection
What's so special about Tutankhamun?
In life, Tutankhamun was a minor pharaoh, overshadowed by his mother Nefertiti and his pyramid-building ancestors. His fame today is because his tomb had survived nearly 2500 years without being robbed or ruined, leaving all of his magnificent grave goods intact.
Mummy Portrait of a Woman (about 170 - 200) by UnknownThe J. Paul Getty Museum
The Romans made mummies
By 30 BCE, Egypt was under the control of the Roman Empire - but mummification carried on! Rather than elaborate gold masks, the faces of the dead were painted onto boards placed over the mummies. Known as Fayum portraits, these are very rare artworks and highly treasured.
Mummy Portrait of a Bearded Man (A.D. 220–250) by Brooklyn PainterThe J. Paul Getty Museum
Perfectly preserved by the dry desert climate, many of these paintings appear as vivid as the day they were painted. As few other paintings survive from the era, these mummy portraits give archaeologists and art historians an insight into the skills of ancient artists.
Aymara mummy of a male individualMuseu Nacional
You can find mummies in South America
By William VandivertLIFE Photo Collection
Mummies were popular entertainment even before cinema
Mummies have fascinated people since ancient times. But in the 19th Century, mummies started to become a form of mass entertainment. Mummies were toured in travelling exhibits and unwrapped in public displays - with little or no care taken for their preservation.
By William VandivertLIFE Photo Collection
Hey, I want my mummy back!
Not all, however, were ancient or even genuine… this fairground attraction that toured the USA in the 1910s and '20s was claimed to be the mummified body of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln. This is despite the fact Booth was buried in Baltimore…
By Jack BirnsLIFE Photo Collection
There's also mummies in Italy!
For centuries, the town of Venzone in the Friuli region of Italy has intrigued the world. A collection of over 40 medieval bodies placed in the church's crypt seemed to naturally mummify. The explanations given range from miracles to fungus, but no-one is exactly sure.
Venzonea Skeletons (1950-09-09) by Jack BirnsLIFE Photo Collection
In the 1950s, Jack Birns visited Venezone for LIFE magazine, documenting the townspeople carrying the bodies outside the church and dressing them, as if they were still alive. Unfortunately in 1976 an earthquake hit the town and destroyed many of these unusual mummies.
Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpere (ca. 945-718 B.C.E.) by UnknownBrooklyn Museum
