mummification

Everyday

1. The process of preserving a dead body so that it does not rot, as the ancient Egyptians did. tree →
2. The natural drying and preserving of a body in very dry, cold or boggy places. tree →

In the lessons

A favourite topic in history lessons on Ancient Egypt: the Egyptians removed organs, dried the body with a salt called natron, wrapped it in linen bandages and put it in a coffin, because they believed the body was needed in the afterlife. In science, natural mummification shows how dryness and cold stop decay.

Examples

• Mummification in ancient Egypt could take about seventy days. tree →
• The Egyptians used natron salt in mummification. tree →
• We learned about mummification in our history topic. tree →
• Even cats and crocodiles were preserved by mummification. tree →
• Ötzi the Iceman shows natural mummification in ice. tree →
• Bog bodies found in Ireland and Denmark were preserved by natural mummification. tree →
• Ancient Egyptians believed mummification helped the dead in the afterlife. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Verb: "mummify" (mummifies, mummified). The body is "a mummy" (trap: in the UK "mummy" is also a child's word for mother). Myth: mummies do not come back to life; that is only in films.