Mummies

Latest about mummies

The remains of Marcus Venerius Secundio were preserved in a sealed chamber in a Pompeii cemetery. Though the body is nearly 2,000 years old, close-cropped hair and an ear are still visible on the skull.

Stunningly preserved mummy of slave found in Pompeii graveyard

By Stephanie Pappas published

The partially mummified remains of an urbane Pompeii resident have been discovered in a tomb outside the city center.

Human Behavior
The two mummified cave lion cubs were found with their fur, teeth, skin, organs and whiskers in tact.

Frozen mummy of extinct cave lion is 'best-preserved ice age animal ever found,' researchers say

By Brandon Specktor published

Researchers have analyzed the mummified bodies of two extinct Ice Age lion cubs in unprecedented detail.

Lions
Left image shows a sheep leg recovered from a historic salt mine in northwest Iran, specimen is on site at the mine. Right two images show the cleaned leg against a plain grey background

Pristine DNA recovered from 1,600-year-old sheep mummy

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The sheep specimen is a rare example of "natural" mummification.

Land Mammals
Journalists film as the carriage carrying the mummy of Pharaoh Ramses II (12791213 BC) advances as part of the parade of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies departing from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square on April 3, 2021, on their way to their new resting place at the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.

Glitzy parade of 22 mummified pharaohs fills Cairo streets

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The 22 mummies included 18 kings and four queens.

Human Behavior
Section of the papyrus that deals with swellings of the skin.

Ancient papyrus holds the world’s oldest guide to mummification

By Mindy Weisberger published

A newly discovered instruction manual for embalming mummies in ancient Egypt contains the earliest known description of these mysterious techniques.

Ancient Egyptians
This beautifully decorated coffin (right) doesn't belong to the unusual mud-wrapped mummy (left) that was found inside it.

Never-before-seen 'mud mummy' from Egypt discovered in wrong coffin

By Laura Geggel published

An ancient Egyptian mummy was damaged and then wrapped in an unusual mud carapace.

Ancient Egyptians
This 2,000-year-old mummy was buried with a golden tongue, likely to help the deceased speak in the afterlife.

Mummy with a gold tongue found in Egypt

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists have found a 2,000-year-old mummy with a gold tongue at an ancient Egyptian site called Taposiris Magna.

Ancient Egyptians
This Pan hamadryas provided three tissue types: hair, bone and enamel. It's also missing its canines.

Mummified baboons may identify lost land of Punt, ancient Egypt's trading partner

By Stephanie Pappas published

Ancient Egyptians got those baboons from somewhere.

Ancient Egyptians
The man lived in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of Texas, pictured here, sometime between 1,400 - 1,000 years ago. The arid area where he was buried caused his body to become naturally mummified.

Man who died of constipation 1,000 years ago ate grasshoppers for months

By Owen Jarus published

A man who died of constipation more than 1,000 years ago survived on just grasshoppers for months, his mummy has revealed.

Human Behavior
X-ray diffraction showed the mummy's unerupted adult teeth and a mass of resin inside the skull.

Roman-era Egyptian child mummy scanned with laser-like precision

By Mindy Weisberger published

High-energy X-ray scans of an intact Egyptian mummy mapped a detailed glimpse of the bones and objects inside.

Romans
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