mummy

A mummy is a preserved body in which soft tissues have been reduced or replaced to slow decomposition, leaving recognizable features intact. The word comes from the Latin mumia, from the Arabic mumiyah, referring to embalming substances historically used to preserve corpses. In common usage, it can describe a preserved human body or, less often, preserved animals.

Ancient Egypt is best known for deliberate mummification, a ritual intended to ensure the deceased’s safe journey to the afterlife. In many cases, internal organs were removed; the brain was extracted, and the heart was typically left in place to be weighed in the afterlife. The body was treated with natron to desiccate it over several weeks, then washed, oiled or anointed, and stuffed. It was wrapped in linen bandages, sometimes with resinous or protective amulets, and placed in coffins or a tomb. Some organs were preserved separately in canopic jars. Practices varied across periods, regions, and social status.

Natural mummies occur when bodies are preserved by environmental conditions without deliberate intervention. Dry, arid climates, cold, and peat bogs can produce well-preserved remains. Examples include bog bodies in northern Europe and other regions where natural desiccation or freezing hindered decay. In addition to human corpses, many cultures practiced animal mummification, often for religious or ritual purposes.

Today, mummies are studied by archaeologists, anatomists, and anthropologists to learn about health, diet, culture, and daily life in past societies. The term also appears in popular culture as a fictional undead figure.