Mummy

A mummy is a preserved corpse.

The earliest 'mummified' individual dates back to approx 3300BC, although it is not a 'true' mummy. The body is on display in the British Museum and has been given the nickname of 'Ginger' because he has red hair. Ginger was buried in the hot desert sand with maybe some stones piled on top to prevent the corpse being eaten by jackals. The hot, dry conditions desiccated the body, preventing the muscle and soft tissues from decaying. Ginger was buried with some pottery vessels, which would have held food and drink to sustain him on his long journey to the other world. There are no written records of the religion or gods from that time, and it is not known if it was the intention of the ancient Egyptians that the deceased were being preserved. By the time of the 1st Dynasty, the ancient Egyptians were definitely aware.

The term is thought to be derived from the Arabic word mumiyah, meaning bitumen; bitumen was once thought to be used extensively in ancient Egyptian embalming procedures due to the blackened skin of unwrapped mummies, though this is now in doubt.

Another possible source for the name is the Egyptian Coptic word mum, for wax; unlike bitumen beeswax really is extensively used in Egyptian embalming.

Preservation techniques were also used by other cultures such as the Scythians and Pazyryks. Bodies have also been found preserved naturally in bogs or ice e.g., Oetzi the Iceman. See also the Tollund Man.