FILE 001Mummies🧪elemi and dammarOrganic residue analysis of Saqqara embalming vessels (26th Dynasty) identified plant oils, animal fats, beeswax, and imported resins such as elemi and dammar used in mummification mixtures.SrcRageot et al., Nature (2023)Pass the claimOpen file
FILE 002Mummies🇵🇪Shareconsulted in ceremoniesInca communities kept ancestor mummies (mallki) as active kin — periodically offered food and drink and consulted in ceremonies as if still living.SrcWorld History Encyclopedia
FILE 003Mummies🐈Sharemillions of animalsAncient Egyptians mummified millions of animals — cats, ibises, crocodiles, baboons and more — as votive offerings; Manchester's Animal Bio Bank studies them non-invasively worldwide.SrcUniversity of Manchester — Ancient Egyptian Animal Bio Bank
FILE 004Mummies👑Share5,398 objectsHoward Carter catalogued about 5,398 objects from Tutankhamun's tomb (numbers 1–620, many as groups) — records held at Oxford's Griffith Institute.SrcGriffith Institute, University of Oxford
FILE 005Mummies🐊Sharedozens of individually wrapped baby crocodilesA 3-metre “giant crocodile” mummy in Leiden holds two juvenile crocodiles plus dozens of individually wrapped baby crocodiles revealed by 3D CT scans.SrcRijksmuseum van Oudheden (Leiden)
FILE 006Mummies🧂ShareNational Museum of IranNatural salt-men mummies from the Douzlākh salt mine at Chehrābād, Iran, preserve miners killed in collapses; Salt Man 1 is at the National Museum of Iran.SrcPLOS ONE
FILE 007Mummies🏛️Share2,000Palermo's Capuchin Catacombs keep around 2,000 skeletons and mummified bodies — Europe's largest displayed mummy assemblage.SrcCatacombe Frati Cappuccini
FILE 008Mummies🧬SharePlasmodium falciparumA 2010 JAMA study detected DNA of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in Tutankhamun and three other royal mummies.SrcJAMA / PubMed
FILE 009Mummies🇬🇱Share1475Eight naturally preserved Inuit people were buried around 1475 at Qilakitsoq, Greenland.SrcNational Museum and Archives of Greenland
FILE 010Mummies👶Share16 to 18 weeksA miniature Late Period coffin at the Fitzwilliam Museum holds a mummified Egyptian foetus only 16 to 18 weeks into gestation.SrcUniversity of Cambridge / Fitzwilliam Museum
FILE 011Mummies🧊Shareoldest known archaeological evidence of artificial mummificationUNESCO recognizes Chinchorro cemeteries in northern Chile as holding the oldest known archaeological evidence of artificial mummification.SrcUNESCO World Heritage Centre
FILE 012Mummies🧊Share2,400–2,200 years oldDenmark's Tollund Man, found in 1950, has been radiocarbon-dated to about 2,400–2,200 years old.SrcMuseum Silkeborg
FILE 013Mummies🇨🇳Share2,100-year-oldXin Zhui (Lady Dai), unearthed at Mawangdui in 1972, is a more than 2,100-year-old wet body whose soft tissue retained elasticity.SrcChina Daily / Hunan Museum
FILE 014Mummies🧪Share70 daysEgyptian mummification took roughly 70 days to complete. Embalmers removed internal organs (stored in canopic jars), packed the body with natron salt to dry it, then wrapped it in up to <hl>20 layers of linen</hl> strips.SrcBritish Museum
FILE 015Mummies🏛️ShareValley of the KingsThe Valley of the Kings contains 65 known tombs and chambers, yet archaeologists believe more remain undiscovered. The most recent significant find, KV65, was identified through ground-penetrating radar in the 2020s.SrcEgyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
FILE 016Mummies🧊ShareÖtzi the IcemanÖtzi the Iceman had <hl>61 tattoos</hl> on his body, mostly lines and dots placed at acupuncture-like points — suggesting therapeutic tattooing existed over 5,000 years ago. He was also murdered: an arrowhead was found lodged in his shoulder.SrcSouth Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
FILE 017Mummies🧪Sharemummification at its peakEgyptian mummification at its peak was a 70-day process involving removal of internal organs, desiccation with natron salt for 40 days, and wrapping with up to 450 square meters of linen strips.SrcSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History
FILE 018Mummies🏔️ShareInca "Ice Maiden" JuanitaThe Inca "Ice Maiden" Juanita, discovered frozen near the summit of Peru's Mount Ampato in 1995, was a teenage girl sacrificed roughly 500 years ago. Her preservation was so remarkable that <hl>DNA and blood cells were still intact</hl>.SrcNational Geographic
FILE 019Mummies📿ShareChinchorro mummies of ChileThe Chinchorro mummies of Chile, dating to approximately 5050 BCE, are the oldest intentionally preserved human remains in the world — over 2,000 years older than Egyptian mummies.SrcUNESCO World Heritage Centre
FILE 020Mummies🏔️ShareInca child mummies of LlullaillacoThe Inca child mummies of Llullaillaco, found at 22,100 feet elevation in Argentina, are the highest-altitude archaeological discovery ever made. The three children were sacrificed approximately 500 years ago in a capacocha ceremony.SrcNational Geographic
FILE 021Mummies🦷ShareatherosclerosisCT scans of Egyptian mummies revealed that ancient Egyptians suffered heavily from atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) — proving that heart disease is not just a modern condition but has affected humans for <hl>at least 3,500 years</hl>.SrcThe Lancet
FILE 022Mummies📖ShareBook of the DeadThe Book of the Dead was a collection of spells placed inside Egyptian coffins to guide the deceased through the underworld. One key test required the dead person's heart to be <hl>weighed against the feather of Ma'at</hl> — truth and justice.SrcBritish Museum