Image of a mummy curled up in a fetal position

THE FIRST MUMMIES: The earliest Egyptian mummies were preserved with only resins and perfumes, and buried on their sides. The oldest known Egyptian mummy is about 5,600 years old. 

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STANDARDS

NGSS: Core Idea: PS1.A, PS1.B

CCSS: Literacy in Science: 7

TEKS: 6.10C, 7.1G, 8.1G, ESS.1G

Data Analysis

Mummies Unwrapped!

Discover surprising secrets about mummies

AS YOU READ, THINK ABOUT how ancient Egyptians preserved their dead for thousands of years.

The year is 1922. A team of British archaeologists and Egyptian workers are digging beneath the hot sand in the Valley of the Kings, an ancient burial site in Egypt. For five years, they’ve been searching for a hidden tomb—rumored to be filled with treasure. One day, a worker discovers a stone step. They dig, revealing stairs that lead to a sealed door.

The year is 1922. A team of British archaeologists and Egyptian workers are digging under the hot sand. They’re in the Valley of the Kings, an ancient burial site in Egypt. For five years, they’ve been searching for a hidden tomb. Rumors say it’s filled with treasure. One day, a worker discovers a stone step. They dig and reveal stairs that lead to a sealed door.

RMN-LOUVRE/ORANGE LOGIC/ART RESOURCE

Egyptians mummified about 70 million animals, including cats, birds, crocodiles, and rams, as gifts for the gods.

Behind the door, the archaeologists find a chamber overflowing with gold, jewels, and statues. Deeper in the tomb, they come across another room containing only a solid-gold coffin. Inside lies the mummy of Tutankhamen—a pharaoh, or ancient Egyptian king, who died thousands of years ago.

Ancient Egyptians believed that preserving a person’s body after death also preserved their spirit. That’s why Egyptians had their bodies mummified and buried with objects they might need in the afterlife. Priests used natural salts to dry the body. Oils and resins prevented the soft tissues from decomposing, or breaking down.

The riches in Tut’s tomb made him the most famous mummy ever discovered. But archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of others. Mummies can reveal what life was like in ancient Egypt, from the diseases people contracted and the medical treatments they received to their cultural and religious beliefs. This creates a powerful connection to the past, says Daniel Antoine, head of the Department of Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum in London. “It is a rare privilege to be able to stare at the face of someone who lived thousands of years ago,” he says.

Behind the door, the archaeologists find a chamber. It’s full of gold, jewels, and statues. Deeper in the tomb, they discover another room. It contains only a solid-gold coffin. The mummy of Tutankhamen lies inside. He was a pharaoh, or ancient Egyptian king. He died thousands of years ago.

Ancient Egyptians preserved a person’s body after death. They believed this also preserved their spirit. So Egyptians had their bodies mummified. They were buried with objects they might need in the afterlife. Priests used natural salts to dry the body. Oils and resins prevented the soft tissues from decomposing, or breaking down.         

Tut is the most famous mummy ever discovered, thanks to the riches in his tomb. But archaeologists have found hundreds of others. Mummies can teach us about life in ancient Egypt. They reveal the diseases people had and the medical treatments they received. Mummies also show Egyptian cultural and religious beliefs. This creates a powerful connection to the past, says Daniel Antoine. He’s head of the Department of Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum in London. “It is a rare privilege to be able to stare at the face of someone who lived thousands of years ago,” he says. 

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