A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs. A cadaver or corpse is a dead Body. "Cadaver" is normally used as a more formal term for a body being used in medical training or research The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant Flesh is the soft part of the body of a person or animal which is between the skin and the bones A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. A bog or mire is a Wetland type that accumulates Acidic Peat, a deposit of dead plant material &ndash usually Mosses but also Mummies of humans and other animals have been found throughout the world, both as a result of natural preservation through unusual conditions, and as cultural artifacts to preserve the dead.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Deliberately embalmed mummies 2.1 Ancient Egypt 2.1.1 Egyptian mummies as a commodity 2.1.2 Scientific study of Egyptian mummies 3 Natural mummies 3.1 Europe 3.1.1 Italy 3.1.2 Bog bodies 3.2 In South America 3.3 In Russia 3.4 In North America 4 Self-mummification 4.1 Summum 4.2 Plastination 5 Mummies in fiction 6 See also 7 References 8 Sources 8.1 Books 8.2 Online 8.3 Video 9 External links

Etymology

Mummy (sˁḥ) in hieroglyphs

The English word mummy is derived from medieval Latin mumia, a borrowing of the Persian or Arabic word mūmiyyah (مومية), which means "bitumen". Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Bitumen is a mixture of organic Liquids that are highly Viscous, black sticky entirely soluble in Carbon disulfide, and composed primarily Because of the blackened skin of mummies, bitumen was once thought to be used extensively in ancient Egyptian embalming procedures. The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition

Deliberately embalmed mummies

Main article: Embalming

The best known mummies are those that have been deliberately embalmed with the specific purpose of preservation, particularly those in ancient Egypt, where not only humans but also crocodiles and cats were mummified. Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) WikipediaManual of Style (spelling, articles should conform to one overall spelling style of English typically the one most linked to the article topic (if it is geographic Ancient Greek historians record that the Persians sometimes mummified their kings and nobility in wax, though this practice has never been documented in Egypt. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The body of a Persian Princess which surfaced in 2004 in Pakistan turned out to have been forged. The Persian Princess or Persian Mummy is a Mummy of an alleged Persian princess that surfaced in Pakistani Baluchistan in October 2000 Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and In China, preserved corpses have been recovered from submerged cypress coffins packed with medicinal herbs. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Cupressaceae or Cypress family is a Conifer family with worldwide distribution Although Egyptian mummies are the most famous, the oldest mummies recorded are the Chinchorro mummies from northern Chile and southern Peru. The Chinchorro mummies are mummified remains of individuals from the South American Chinchorro culture found in what is now northern Chile and southern Also among the oldest is Uan Muhuggiag which is a place in the central Sahara, and the name of the mummy of a small boy found there in 1958 by Professor Fabrizio Mori. Uan Muhuggiag is a place in the central Sahara located in Libya, and the name of the Mummy of a small boy found there in 1958 by Professor Fabrizio The mummy displays a highly sophisticated mummification technique, and at around 5,500 years old is older than any comparable Ancient Egyptian mummy. The monks of Palermo in Sicily began mummifying their dead in 1599, and gradually other members of the community wished to have their bodies preserved as a status symbol. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The last person to be mummified there died in the 1920s. The Capuchin catacombs of Palermo contain thousands of bodies, many which are clothed and standing, however in many cases the preservation was not successful with only the skeleton and clothing surviving. The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (also Catacombe dei Cappuccini or Catacombs of the Capuchins are burial Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy

Ancient Egypt

Main article: Egyptian burial rituals and protocol

Although mummification existed in other cultures, eternal life was the main focus of all Ancient Egyptians, which meant preserving the body forever. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. Egyptian culture believed the body was home in the afterlife to a person's Ka and Ba, without which it would be condemned to eternal wandering. AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between

The earliest known Egyptian "mummified" individual dates back to approximately 3300 BC. This individual, nicknamed 'Ginger' because of the color of his hair, is not internationally renowned despite being older than other famous mummies, such as Rameses II or Seti I. 'Ginger' is believed to be the earliest known ancient Egyptian "mummified" body being Late Predynastic and dating to approximately 3300 BC. Menmaatre Seti I (also called Sethos I after the Greeks) was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ( Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt) the son of Ramesses Currently on display in the British Museum, Ginger was discovered buried in hot desert sand. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Desert conditions can naturally preserve bodies so it is uncertain whether the mummification was intentional or not. However, since Ginger was buried with some pottery vessels it is likely that the mummification was a result of preservation techniques of those burying him. Stones might have been piled on top to prevent the corpse from being eaten by jackals and other scavengers and the pottery might have held food and drink which was later believed to sustain the deceased during the journey to the other world. A jackal (from Turkish çakal, via Persian shaghal ultimately from Sanskrit sṛgālaḥ) is a member of any of three While there are no written records of religion from that time, the beliefs of those who buried Ginger could have resembled the later religion to some extent.

The earliest technique of deliberate mummification, as used ca. 3000 BC, was minimal and not yet mastered. The organs were eventually removed (with the exception of the heart) and stored in canopic jars, allowing the body to be more well-preserved as it rested. Canopic jars were used by Ancient Egyptians during the mummification process and were commonly made of Limestone, Pottery, wood or Bronze Occasionally embalmers would break the bone behind the nose, and break the brain into small pieces in order that it could be pulled out through the nasal passage. The embalmers would then fill the skull with thick plant-based resin or plant resin sawdust.

It also wasn’t until the Middle Kingdom that embalmers used natural salts to remove moisture from the body. The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty The salt-like substance natron dried out and preserved more flesh than bone. Natron is a naturally occurring mixture of Sodium carbonate decahydrate ( Na 2 C[[oxygen O]]3 · 10 H2O Once dried, mummies were ritualistically anointed with oils and perfumes. The 21st Dynasty brought forth its most advanced skills in embalming and the mummification process reached its peak. The Twenty-First, Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Third Intermediate The bodies' abdomens were opened and all organs, except for the heart, were removed and preserved in Canopic jars. Canopic jars were used by Ancient Egyptians during the mummification process and were commonly made of Limestone, Pottery, wood or Bronze The brain, thought to be useless, was pulled out through the nose with hooks, then discarded. It was also drained through the nose after being liquefied with the same hooks.

The emptied body was then covered in natron, to speed up the process of dehydration and prevent decomposition. Dehydration ( hypohydration) is the removal of Water ( hydro in ancient Greek) from an object Natron dries the body up faster than desert sand, preserving the body better. Often finger and toe protectors were placed over the mummies fingers and toes to prevent breakage. They were wrapped with strips of white linen that protected the body from being damaged. After that, they were wrapped in a sheet of canvas to further protect them. Many sacred charms and amulets were placed in and around the mummy and the wrappings. This was meant to protect the mummy from harm and to give good luck to the Ka of the mummy. Once preserved, the mummies were laid to rest in a sarcophagus inside a tomb, where it was believed that the mummy would rest eternally. A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone In some cases the mummy's mouth would later be opened in a ritual designed to symbolize breathing, giving rise to legends about revivified mummies. The Opening of the mouth ceremony (or ritual) was an ancient Egyptian ritual described in Funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts. ^[1]

Egyptian mummies as a commodity

• In the Middle Ages, based on a mis-translation from Arabic it became common practice to grind mummies preserved in bitumen into a powder to be sold and used as medicine. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Bitumen is a mixture of organic Liquids that are highly Viscous, black sticky entirely soluble in Carbon disulfide, and composed primarily When actual mummies became unavailable, the sun-desiccated corpses of criminals, slaves and suicidal people were substituted by mendacious merchants. Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness or the process of extreme drying ^[2] The practice developed into a wide-scale business which flourished until the late 16th century. Two centuries ago, mummies were still believed to have medicinal properties against bleeding, and were sold as pharmaceuticals in powdered form as in Mellified Man. Mellified Man, or human mummy confection, refers to a legendary medicinal substance created by steeping a Cadaver in Honey. ^[3]
• Artists also made use of Egyptian mummies; the brownish paint known as Caput mortuum (Latin for death's head) was originally made from the wrappings of mummies. Caput Mortuum is a Latin term whose literal meaning is "dead head" or "worthless remains" used in Alchemy and also as the name of a It was most popular in the 17th century but was discontinued in the early 19th century when its composition became generally known to artists.
• In the 19th century, European aristocrats would occasionally entertain themselves by purchasing mummies, having them unwrapped, and holding observation sessions. ^[4] These sessions destroyed hundreds of mummies, because the exposure to the air caused them to disintegrate.
• An urban myth of mummies being used as fuel for locomotives was popularized by Mark Twain,^[5] but the truth of the story remains a debate. An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist
• During the American Civil War, mummy-wrapping linens were said to have been used to manufacture paper. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging ^[5][6] Evidence for the reality of these claims is still equivocal. ^[7][8]
• Many thousands of mummified cats were sent from Egypt to England to be processed for use in fertilizer. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant ^[9]

Scientific study of Egyptian mummies

Egyptian mummies became much sought-after by museums worldwide in the 19th and early 20th centuries and many exhibit mummies today. Notably fine examples are exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, at the Ägyptisches Museum in Berlin, and at the British Museum in London. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to the most extensive collection of Ancient Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. The Egyptian Museum of Berlin (Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung is home to one of the world's most important collections of Ancient Egyptian artifacts Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Egyptian city of Luxor is also home to a specialized Mummification Museum. Luxor (in Arabic: الأقصر al-Uqṣur) is a city in Upper (southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor The Mummification Museum is located in the Egyptian city of Luxor. The mummified remains of what turned out to be Ramesses I ended up in a "Daredevil Museum" near Niagara Falls on the United States–Canada border; records indicate that it had been sold to a Canadian in 1860 and exhibited alongside displays such as a two-headed calf for nearly 140 years, until a museum in Atlanta, Georgia, which had acquired the mummy along with other artifacts, determined it to be royal and returned it to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Menpehtyre Ramesses I (traditional English Ramesses or Ramses) was the founding Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's 19th dynasty. The Niagara Falls are massive Waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Supreme Council of Antiquities (commonly abbreviated SCA is part of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the conservation protection and regulation It is currently on display in the Luxor Museum. Luxor Museum is located in the Egyptian city of Luxor (ancient Thebes)

More recently, science has also taken interest in mummies. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Dr. Bob Brier, an Egyptologist, has been the first modern scientist attempted to recreate a mummy using the ancient Egyptian method. Robert Brier PhD (born December 13, 1943) also affectionately known as Mr Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek grc -λογία -logia. علم المصريات مصر شناسی is a major field of Archaeology Mummies have been used in medicine to calibrate CAT scan machines at levels of radiation that would be too dangerous for use on living people. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Computed tomography (CT is a Medical imaging method employing Tomography. Image talkNew_radiation_symbol_ISO_21482svg for details --> Ionizing radiation In fact, mummies can be studied without unwrapping them using CAT scan and X-ray machines to form a digital image of what's inside. Computed tomography (CT is a Medical imaging method employing Tomography. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. They have been very useful to biologists and anthropologists, as they have provided a wealth of information about the health and life expectancy of ancient people. Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age

Scientists interested in cloning the DNA of mummies have recently reported findings of clonable DNA in an Egyptian mummy dating to circa 400 BC. Cloning in Biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as Bacteria, Insects Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known ^[10] Although analysis of the hair of Ancient Egyptian mummies from the Late Middle Kingdom has revealed evidence of a stable diet,^[11] Ancient Egyptian mummies from circa 3200 BC show signs of severe anaemia and hemolytic disorders. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Anemia ( AmE) or anæmia/anaemia ( BrE) (from the Ancient Greek grc-Latn anaîmia, meaning “without blood” is defined as a qualitative Hematology ( American English) or haematology ( British English) is the branch of biology (physiology Pathology, Clinical laboratory ^[12]

Natural mummies

Mummies that are formed as a result of naturally-occurring environmental conditions, such as extreme coldness (Ötzi the Iceman, the Ice Maiden), acid (Tollund Man), salinity (Salt Man), or desiccating dryness (Tarim mummies), have been found all over the world. Seahorses are a Genus ( Hippocampus ') of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, which also includes Pipefish and Leafy Ötzi the Iceman ( pronounced) Frozen Fritz, and Similaun Man are modern nicknames of a well-preserved natural Mummy of a man The Pazyryk (Пазарык is the name of an ancient Nomadic people who lived in the Altai Mountains lying in Siberian Russia south of the modern city The Tollund Man is the naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the time period characterised in Scandinavia as the Salinity is the Saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of Water. The Tarim mummies are a series of Caucasoid Mummies discovered in the Tarim Basin in present-day Xinjiang, China, which date from More than a thousand Iron Age corpses, so called bog bodies, have been found in bogs in northern Europe, such as the Yde Girl and the Lindow Man. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Bog bodies, also known as bog people, are preserved Human bodies found in sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe, Great Britain and A bog or mire is a Wetland type that accumulates Acidic Peat, a deposit of dead plant material &ndash usually Mosses but also Yde Girl is a Bog body found in the Stijfveen Peat bog near the little village of Yde in the Netherlands. Lindow Man, also known as Lindow II and Pete Marsh, is the name given to the naturally-preserved Bog body of an Iron Age man discovered in a ^[13] Natural mummification of other animal species also occurs; this is most common in species from shallow saline water environments, especially those with a body structure which is particularly favourable to this process, such as seahorses and starfish. Saline water is a general term for Water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved Salts ( NaCl) Seahorses are a Genus ( Hippocampus ') of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, which also includes Pipefish and Leafy Starfish (also called sea stars) are any Echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea.

Europe

Italy

Main article: Ötzi the Iceman

Natural mummification is fairly rare, requiring specific conditions to occur, but it has produced some of the oldest known mummies. Ötzi the Iceman ( pronounced) Frozen Fritz, and Similaun Man are modern nicknames of a well-preserved natural Mummy of a man The most famous ancient mummy is Ötzi the Iceman, frozen in a glacier in the Ötztal Alps around 3300 BC and found in 1991. Ötzi the Iceman ( pronounced) Frozen Fritz, and Similaun Man are modern nicknames of a well-preserved natural Mummy of a man "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The Ötztal Alps ( Ötztaler Alpen in German) are a Mountain range in the central Alps of Europe, part of the Central Eastern

Bog bodies

Main article: Bog bodies

The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark have all produced a number of bog bodies, mummies of people deposited in sphagnum bogs, apparently as a result of murder or ritual sacrifices. Bog bodies, also known as bog people, are preserved Human bodies found in sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe, Great Britain and The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Bog bodies, also known as bog people, are preserved Human bodies found in sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe, Great Britain and A bog or mire is a Wetland type that accumulates Acidic Peat, a deposit of dead plant material &ndash usually Mosses but also In such cases, the acidity of the water, cold temperature and lack of oxygen combined to tan the body's skin and soft tissues. The skeleton typically disintegrates over time. Such mummies are remarkably well-preserved on emerging from the bog, with skin and internal organs intact; it is even possible to determine the contents of last meal was by examining the stomach. In Human anatomy, the stomach is a J-shaped hollow muscular organ of the Gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of Digestion, following A famous case is that of the Haraldskær Woman, who was discovered by labourers in a bog in Jutland in 1835. The Haraldskær Woman is an Iron Age Bog body found naturally preserved in a Bog in Jutland, Denmark. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. She was erroneously identified as an early medieval Danish queen, and for that reason was placed in a royal sarcophagus at the Saint Nicolai Church, Vejle, where she currently remains. A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone Vejle (ˈvaile is a town in Denmark and the site of the council of both Vejle municipality ( kommune) and Region Syddanmark

In South America

Main article: Chinchorro mummies

Some of the best-preserved mummies date from the Inca period in Peru and Chile some 500 years ago, where children were ritually sacrificed and placed on the summits of mountains in the Andes. The Chinchorro mummies are mummified remains of individuals from the South American Chinchorro culture found in what is now northern Chile and southern Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Also found in this area are the Chinchorro mummies, which are among the oldest mummified bodies ever found. The Chinchorro mummies are mummified remains of individuals from the South American Chinchorro culture found in what is now northern Chile and southern The cold, dry climate had the effect of desiccating the corpses and preserving them intact. In 1995, the frozen body of a 12- to 14-year-old Inca girl who had died some time between 1440 and 1450 was discovered on Mount Ampato in southern Peru. The Inca Empire (or Inka Empire) was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Known as "Mummy Juanita" ("Momia Juanita" in Spanish) or "The Ice Maiden", some archaeologists believe that she was a human sacrifice to the Inca mountain god Apus. Momia Juanita ( Spanish for "Mummy Juanita" better known in English as the " Ice Maiden," is an Inca Mummy Human sacrifice is the act of Homicide (the Killing of one or several Human beings in the context of a Religious ritual ( ritual killing Inca mythology includes a number of stories and legends that are mythological and helps explain or symbolizes Inca beliefs

In Russia

In the summer of 1993, a team of Russian archaeologists led by Dr. Natalia Polosmak discovered the Siberian Ice Maiden in a sacred area known as the Pastures of Heaven, on the Pontic-Caspian steppe in the Altay Mountains near the Mongolian border. Natalia Polosmak is a Russian archaeologist specialising in the Eurasian Nomads especially those known as the Pazyryk, an ancient people who lived The Pazyryk (Пазарык is the name of an ancient Nomadic people who lived in the Altai Mountains lying in Siberian Russia south of the modern city The term Pontic-Caspian steppe summarizes the vast Steppelands stretching from north of the Black Sea as far as the east of the Caspian Sea, from central The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Mummified, then frozen by unusual climatic conditions in the fifth century B. C. along with six decorated horses and a symbolic meal for her last journey, she is believed to have been a shaman of the lost Pazyryk culture. The Pazyryk (Пазарык is the name of an ancient Nomadic people who lived in the Altai Mountains lying in Siberian Russia south of the modern city Her body was covered with vivid blue tattoos of mythical animal figures. The best preserved tattoos were images of a donkey, a mountain ram, two highly stylized deer with long antlers and an imaginary carnivore on the right arm. The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. The argali, or the mountain sheep (species Ovis ammon) is the globally endangered wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting A man found with her (nicknamed "Conan") was also discovered, with tattoos of two monsters resembling griffins decorating his chest and three partially obliterated images which seem to represent two deer and a mountain goat on his left arm. The griffin is a Legendary creature with the body of a Lion and the head and often wings of an Eagle. The Ice Maiden has been a source of controversy, as alleged improper care after her removal from the ice resulted in rapid decay of the body; and since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Altai Republic has demanded the return of various "stolen" artifacts, including the Ice Maiden, who is currently stored in Novosibirsk in Siberia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Altai Republic (Респу́блика Алта́й Altay: Алтай Республика is a federal subject of Russia (a Republic) History The city was founded in 1893 as the future site of the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob, and was known as Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving ^[14][15]

In North America

In 1972, eight remarkably preserved mummies were discovered at an abandoned Inuit settlement called Qilakitsoq, in Greenland. Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting Qilakitsoq is an Archaeological site in Greenland, formally a settlement it is famous for the discovery of eight mummified bodies in 1972. The "Greenland Mummies" consisted of a six-month old baby, a four year old boy, and six women of various ages, who died around 500 years ago. Their bodies were naturally mummified by the sub-zero temperatures and dry winds in the cave in which they were found. ^[16][17] The oldest preserved mummy in North America is Kwäday Dän Ts’ínchi ("Long ago person found" in the Southern Tutchone language of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations), found in August 1999 by three First Nations hunters at the edge of a glacier in Tatshenshini-Alsek Park. The Southern Tutchone are a First Nations people living mainly in the southern Yukon in Canada. The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada Tatshenshini-Alsek Park or Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park in British Columbia Canada (9580 km² was established in 1993 after an intensive campaign It was determined that he had died about 550 years ago and that his preserved remains were the oldest ever discovered in North America. ^[18]

Self-mummification

Main article: Sokushinbutsu

Buddhist monks are said to have been able to prevent their bodies from postmortem corruption. Sokushinbutsu ( were Buddhist monks or priests who allegedly caused their own deaths in a way that resulted in their being mummified. Incorruptibility is the property of a body — usually a human body — that does not decompose after death Victor H. Mair claims that hundreds of mummified bodies of Tibetan monks were destroyed in Chinese during the Cultural Revolution or were cremated by the Lamaists in order to prevent their desecration. Victor H Mair (born 1943 is Professor of Chinese Language and Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China was a struggle for power within the Communist Party of China that manifested into Also according to Mair, the self-mummification of a Tibetan monk, who died ca. 1475 and whose body was retrieved relatively incorrupt in the 1990s, was achieved by the sophisticated practices of meditation, coupled with prolonged starvation and slow self-suffocation using a special belt that connected the neck with his knees in a lotus position. The lotus position ( Devanāgarī: पद्मासन IAST: padmāsana; Japanese:) is a cross- Legged

The monks whose bodies remain incorrupt without any traces of deliberate mummification are venerated by some Buddhists who believe they successfully were able to mortify their flesh to death. "Buddhists say that only the most advanced masters can fall into some particular condition before death and purify themselves so that his dead body could not decay. "^[19] Bodies purported to be those of self-mummified monks are exhibited in several Japanese shrines, and it has been claimed that the monks, prior to their death, stuck to a sparse diet made up of salt, nuts, seeds, roots, pine bark, and urushi tea. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Lacquer Tree ( Toxicodendron vernicifluum or formerly Rhus verniciflua) also called Varnish Tree, Japanese lacquer Tree, Japanese ^[20] Some of them were buried alive in a pine-wood box full of salt. The Siberian Buryat lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov (1852–1927) aroused considerable interest in recent years, as his body was retrieved in a perfect state of mummification in 2002. The Buryats or Buriyads, numbering approximately 436000 are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland the Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov (Даши-Доржо Итигэлов (1852–1927 was a Buryat Buddhist Lama of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition best

In the 1830s, Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, left instructions to be followed upon his death which led to the creation of a sort of modern-day mummy. Jeremy Bentham ( IPA: or) (15 February 1748&ndash6 June 1832 was an English Jurist, Philosopher, and legal and Social reformer Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is solely determined by its contribution to overall Utility, that is its contribution to happiness He asked that his body be displayed to illustrate how the "horror at dissection originates in ignorance"; once so displayed and lectured about, he asked that his body parts be preserved, including his skeleton (minus his skull, for which he had other plans), which were to be dressed in the clothes he usually wore and "seated in a Chair usually occupied by me when living in the attitude in which I am sitting when engaged in thought. " His body, outfitted with a wax head created because of problems preparing it as Bentham requested, is on open display in the University College London. University College London ( UCL) is a multi-faculty university institution based in the United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London

During the early 20th century the Russian movement of Cosmism, as represented by Nikolaj Fedorov, envisioned scientific resurrection of dead people. Russian cosmism is a cosmocentric philosophical and cultural movement that emerged in Russia in the early 20th century Nikolai Fyodorovich Fyodorov (Никола́й Фёдорович Фёдоров surname also Anglicized as "Fedorov" ( June 9, 1829 &ndash December The idea was so popular that, after Lenin's death, Leonid Krasin and Alexander Bogdanov suggested to cryonically preserve his body and brain in order to revive him in the future. Leonid Borisovich Krasin (Леонид Борисович Красин 1870 – November 24, 1926) was a Russian and Soviet Bolshevik Alexander Aleksandrovich Bogdanov Александр Александрович Богданов (born Alyaksandr Malinouski, Аляксандар Маліноўскі( Cryonics is the low-temperature Preservation of Humans and other Animals that can no longer be sustained by contemporary Medicine until ^[21] Necessary equipment was purchased abroad, but for a variety of reasons the plan was not realized. ^[22] Instead his body was embalmed and placed on permanent exhibition in the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow, where it is displayed to this day. Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition The mausoleum itself was modeled by Aleksey Shchusev on the Pyramid of Djoser and the Tomb of Cyrus. Alexey Viktorovich Shchusev (Алексе́й Ви́кторович Щу́сев September 26, 1873, Kishinev &mdash May 24, 1949 The Pyramid of Djoser(Zoser, or step pyramid ( kbhw-ntrw in Egyptian) is an archeological remain in the Saqqara necropolis Egypt Tomb of Cyrus is the Burial place of the ancient Cyrus the Great of Persia.

In the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, mummies were discovered in a cemetery of a city named Guanajuato northwest of Mexico City (near León). Guanajuato is the name of a state in Mexico and that state's capital city as well as a river in the area The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Mexican city of Guanajuato is the capital of the state of the same name Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico They are accidental modern mummies and were literally "dug up" between the years 1896 and 1958 when a local law required relatives of the deceased to pay a kind of grave tax. The Guanajuato mummies are on display in the Museo de las momias, high on a hill overlooking the city. Another notable example of natural mummification in modern times is Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz (1651-1702), whose body is on exhibit in his native Kampehl. Christian Friedrich von Kahlbutz (1651 in Kampehl, Brandenburg – 1702 in Kampehl) was a German Knight, who is today most famous Neustadt an der Dosse is a Town in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Brandenburg, Germany with a population of 4013 (2004

In 1994 265 mummified bodies were found in the crypt of a Dominican church in Vác, Hungary from the 1729-1838 period. Vác (ˈvaːts approximately "vats" (Vacov Waitzen Vacium is a city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 33000 inhabitants Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The discovery proved to be scientifically important, and by 2006 an exhibition was established in the Museum of Natural History in Budapest. Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, ^[23] In March 2006, the body of the Greek Orthodox Monk Vissarion Korkoliacos was found intact in his tomb, after fifteen years in grave. The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective see Vissarion (disambiguation for other people called Vissarion Incorruptibility is the property of a body — usually a human body — that does not decompose after death The event has led to a dispute between those who believe the preservation to be a miracle and those who claimed the possibility of natural mummification. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation

Summum

In 1975, an esoteric organization by the name of Summum introduced "Modern Mummification", a form of mummification that Summum claims uses modern techniques along with aspects of ancient methods. For other uses of Summum, see Summum (disambiguation. Summum is a Religion and Philosophy For other uses of Summum, see Summum (disambiguation. Summum is a Religion and Philosophy The service is available for spiritual reasons. Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Summum considers animals and people to have an essence that continues following the death of the body, and their mummification process is meant to preserve the body as a means to aid the essence as it transitions to a new destination. In Philosophy, essence is the attribute or set of attributes that make an object or substance what it fundamentally is and which it has by necessity Summum calls this "transference," and the concept seems to correlate with ancient Egyptian reasons for mummification.

Rather than using a dehydration process that is typical of ancient mummies, Summum uses a chemical process that is supposed to maintain the body's natural look. The process includes leaving the body submerged in a tank of preservation fluid for several months. Summum claims its process preserves the body so well that the DNA will remain intact far into the future, leaving open the possibility for cloning should science perfect the technique on humans. Cloning in Biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as Bacteria, Insects

According to news stories,^[24] Summum has mummified numerous pets such as birds, cats, and dogs. People were mummified early on when Summum developed its process and many have made personal, "pre-need" arrangements. Summum has been included in television programs by National Geographic and the British Broadcasting Corporation, and is also discussed in the book The Scientific Study of Mummies by Arthur C. Overview The NGS's historical mission is "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural historical and natural Aufderheide. ^{[25][26] [27]}

Plastination

Main article: Plastination

Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to conserve bodies or body parts. Plastination is a technique used in Anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts Plastination is a technique used in Anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts Anatomy (from the Greek anatomia, from ana separate apart from and temnein, to cut up cut open is a branch of Biology that is the consideration The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most microscopic properties of the original sample. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water

The technique was invented by Gunther von Hagens when working at the anatomical institute of the University of Heidelberg in 1978. Dr Gunther von Hagens (b Gunther Liebchen, January 10, 1945) is a controversial anatomist who invented the technique for preserving biological The Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg ( University of Heidelberg, Ruperto Carola, Heidelberg University, or simply Heidelberg) is a Von Hagens has patented the technique in several countries and is heavily involved in its promotion, especially with his travelling exhibition Body Worlds, exhibiting plastinated human bodies internationally. Body Worlds ( German title Körperwelten) is a Traveling exhibition of preserved Human bodies and body parts that are prepared using a technique He also founded and directs the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg. Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. As of 2006 over 140000 people live within the city's area

Mummies in fiction

Mummies are commonly featured in romance genres as an undead creature. Lon Chaney Jr ( February 10, 1906 – July 12, 1973) was an American Character actor, known mainly for his roles Kharis is the name of the Mummy featured in the four films produced by Universal Studios in the 1940s following their original 1932 film ''The Mummy'' The Mummy's Ghost is the 1944 Universal Pictures horror film sequel to The Mummy's Tomb. Undead is a collective name for fictional beings that are deceased yet behave as if alive During the 20th century, horror films and other mass media popularized the notion of a curse associated with mummies. Horror films are Movies that strive to elicit Fear, Horror and terror responses from viewers A curse (also called execration) is any manner of Adversity thought to be inflicted by any supernatural power (such as a spell, a Prayer, an Films representing such a belief include the 1932 film The Mummy starring Boris Karloff as Imhotep; four subsequent 1940's Universal Studios mummy films which featured a mummy named Kharis, who also was the title mummy in a 1959 Hammer remake of The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Tomb; and a remake of the original film that was released in 1999. The Mummy is a 1932 horror classic from Universal Pictures directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff as a Boris Karloff ( 23 November, &ndash 2 February,) was an English actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, circa ( fl Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American Kharis is the name of the Mummy featured in the four films produced by Universal Studios in the 1940s following their original 1932 film ''The Mummy'' The Mummy is a 1959 British Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The Mummy is a 1999 American Adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel The belief in cursed mummies probably stems in part from the supposed curse on the tomb of Tutankhamun. American Broadcasting Company's 1979 TV holiday film aired "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't" where a mummy (Robert Fitch) arrived into Count Dracula's castle without speaking to any other monster. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network.

The 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter brought mummies into the mainstream. Howard Carter ( May 9 1874 March 2 1939) was an English Archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer Slapstick comedy trio the Three Stooges humoursly exploited the discovery in the short film We Want Our Mummy, in which they explored the tomb of the midget King Rutentuten (and his Queen, Hotsy Totsy). Slapstick is a type of Comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense such as a character being hit in the face with The Three Stooges were an American Vaudeville and Comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous Short subject films We Want Our Mummy is the 37th Short subject starring American Slapstick team the Three Stooges. For the New York prison see The Tombs. A Tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. Midget is a term used to describe an exceptionally short person A decade later, they were crooked used chariot salesmen in Mummy's Dummies, in which they ultimately assist a different King Rootentootin (Vernon Dent) with a toothache. The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples Mummy's Dummies is the 111th Short subject starring American Slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. Vernon Bruce Dent ( February 16, 1895 - November 5, 1963) was a comic actor who co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures

Fictional mummies have also been prominently featured in comics and animation, such as Hakushin in the anime series InuYasha, Anal Ho Tep from Eric Millikin's Fetus-X, N'Kantu, the Living Mummy from Marvel Comics, and Mumm-Ra from the animated TV series ThunderCats. (anime in Japanese, full title ( romanized as INUYASHA Fetus-X is a controversial weekly romantic horror Comic written and drawn by Eric Millikin, award-winning American cartoonist N'Kantu the Living Mummy is a fictional Supernatural hero in the Marvel Comics universe. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc ThunderCats is an American Animated television series that was developed and produced by Rankin/Bass Productions debuting in 1985 A humorous cartoon mummy was also used as the mascot for General Mills' monster-themed breakfast cereal Yummy Mummy. General Mills ( is a Fortune 500 Corporation, mainly concerned with Food products which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota Yummy Mummy was one of five Monster -themed Breakfast cereals produced by General Mills for the North American market during the later half of the 20th century

See also

• Embalming
• List of mummies
• List of DNA tested mummies

References

Sources

Books

Online

Video

External links

• Naturally Preserved Peruvian Mummies
• World's Best Preserved Mummies in China
• The "Auto-Icon of Jeremy Bentham, from a University College London website
• Cat Mummies
• Clickable Mummy
• Mummies from the Smithsonian Institution. University College London ( UCL) is a multi-faculty university institution based in the United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of
• Rameses: Wrath of God or Man? at Discovery Channel
• Summum - Animal Mummy Gallery
• U.S. Museum to Return Ramses I Mummy to Egypt, an article from the National Geographic website
• "King Mutt's Tomb", 2006-09-13 article about dog mummy found in Peru
• Roman Period Fayyum mummies: A picture test from Cognitive Labs
• Cooking With Mummy, by Sarah Bakewell, Fortean Times 124, July 1999. Discovery Channel is an American Satellite and Cable TV channel (also delivered via IPTV, Terrestrial television and Overview The NGS's historical mission is "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural historical and natural Fortean Times - "The World of Strange Phenomena" - is a British monthly Magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised Article on the medicinal uses of mummy.
• The Art of Michaël Magerat: Animal Mummies

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