A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions. The preservation of the dead had a profound effect on ancient Egyptian religion. Egyptians saw the preservation of the body after death as an important step to living well in the afterlife. This cultural hierarchy lead to the creation of elaborate tombs, and more sophisticated methods of embalming.[1]
Coverage[]
The Egyptian mummies were featured in The Bodies Left Behind.
In the present day, many mummies are not found in the tombs and pyramids of Egypt, but inside are located in plexiglass displays at modern museums. This is the case with many of Ancient Egypt's historical figures, which can be found in museums in Cairo, Egypt's capital city. When the electricity runs out, systems that had kept the mummies in the same conditions they had been in before being discovered begin to fail. Dr. Howard Oliver explains the history of the Egyptian mummies where it would lasted 3,000 years or more which makes the conditions to be perfect for the bodies. It's then stated that when the systems to keep the bodies dry fail, the increase in moisture allows microbes like bacteria and mold to begin colonising and consuming the desiccated flesh.
The fate of most mummies is revealed in 25 years after people when after years without regulation of heat and humidity, mold arrived first, followed by insects. Dr. Howard Oliver explains that the first insects to arrive are mites, which consume the body itself, followed by the fibres in the wrapping. This causes great Egyptian kings like Ramesses II and Tutankhamun to finally break down into skeletons, thousands of years after they died.
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