The ancient art of making mummies

Utter the word mummy and the images that flash upon our mind are those of gold-coated, bandage-wrapped bodies, concealed in pyramids. Well, the word ‘mummy’ refers to a corpse that has been restored artificially. The term is derived from the Persian/Arabic word mummiya meaning ‘tar’ or ‘bitumen’. Here is a bird’s eye view of the origin, history and evolution of mummies and the process of mummification.  

What is a mummy? 
A mummy is the body of a person or animal which is preserved after death. It retains the soft tissue, mostly the skin. But sometimes even the eyes and internal organs are preserved. The process of preservation is done through mummification. 

What is mummification?  
Mummification techniques have changed and evolved over the years. It is still a process of quality and craftsmanship. Typically, this process involves drying or embalming flesh by exposing a deceased body to the sun, fire or freezing temperature. Also, the moisture is removed from a corpse and flesh and organs are desiccated with the help of chemicals or natural preservatives, such as resin. Mummies are created by exposing bodies to extreme temperatures because it doesn’t allow bacteria and other germs to thrive.  

Mummies can also be created accidentally. This is known as "natural" mummification. It happens if a corpse is naturally or unintentionally exposed to extreme cold, very dry conditions, or some other environmental factors that prevent decay. 

The priests of ancient Egypt are thought to be experts in mummification. The bodies of pharaohs and rich people were preserved using an elaborate process which was aided by the dry, arid climate of Egypt. Here is how the royalty and the wealthy were mummified: 

• The body was washed  
• All the organs except the heart were removed and placed in jars 
• A salt treatment was given to the bodies to remove moisture  
• The body was embalmed using resins and essential oils such as myrrh, cassia, juniper oil, and cedar oil 
• The embalmed body was wrapped in multiple linen layers  

The mummies of pharaohs were preserved in ornate stone coffins known as sarcophaguses. They were then buried in luxurious tombs that had everything they would need in their afterlife: Vehicles, tools, food, wine, perfume, and household items. Some pharaohs are known to have been buried with pets and servants too. 

However, the process wasn't this elaborate for the poor or the common people, who were rarely mummified. According to the accounts of Egyptologist Salima Ikram, some deceased bodies were just filled with juniper oil in order to dissolve organs before burial. 

Origin and evolution of mummies 
The practice of preserving corpses is famous worldwide and was prevalent in many civilizations like the Incan, Australian, ancient European, African, Aztec, and others. The rituals of mummification, however, varied in different cultures. While some mummified every citizen, others reserved this practice only for the royalty and the rich.  

The oldest mummies were found in the Camarones Valley of Chile at the Chinchorro Beach near the town of Arica. The practice of mummification in Chinochorro began around 7000 years ago, way before the Egyptian mummies came to be known. In Chinchorro, people from every segment of the society were mummified. Though the process of creating mummies evolved with time, the basic principles were the same. In the initial phase of the Chinchorro society, some 7050-4500 years back, the preserved bodies were painted with black manganese. Later, around 2500 BC, manganese was replaced with red ochre and continued till the first century BC.       

The culture of mummification, however, reached its pinnacle in ancient Egypt. The inception of the mummy culture among Egyptians had its roots in their obsessive religious belief that there is an afterlife here on earth. According to them, the spiritual essence of a person survives, even after the death of the body and makes its journey towards the eternal paradise. The body needs to be intact for the spirit to travel, the Egyptians believed. That is why mummification was such an important ritual for them. 

The first archaeological record of an Egyptian mummy dates back to 3500 BC. The process became enriched and sophisticated during the Age of Pyramids or Old Kingdom (2700 BC-2200 BC) and the New Kingdom (1500 BC-1000 BC). This culture died down during the 4th century when Rome started ruling Egypt. The ritual of mummification ceased with the advent of Christianity. Now, it's a lost art.    

Accidental mummies around the world  
As already mentioned, mummies can be created naturally or accidentally too. Here are a few examples: 

• A 10,000-year-old mummy discovered at the Spirit Cave in Naveda, North America, was a naturally created mummy. The body, wrapped in a Tule mat, was preserved by the arid atmosphere and rarefied air of the cave. 

• Another naturally preserved mummy was found in Egypt. This 5000-year-old mummy was the body of a woman wrapped in linen and fur. 

• Europe has one of the oldest accidental mummies: Ötzi the Iceman, who was alive 5,300 years back. His corpse was mummified by ice and snow.