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.