Mummies

Mummies provide a window into the traditions and rituals practiced by ancient cultures. Modern analyses on their bones, teeth, hair and preserved soft tissues can also provide information on the health conditions these ancient people experienced, as well as what type of food they ate. Here's the latest news on mummies and what analyses have revealed about their lives.
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Latest about mummies

Ancient Egypt: Facts about the ancient civilization known for its pyramids, mummies and pharaohs
By Margherita Bassi last updated
Discover interesting facts about ancient Egypt's pyramids, mummies and pharaohs.

13 ancient Egyptian mummies found with gold tongues to help them talk in the afterlife
By Owen Jarus published
More than a dozen ancient gold tongues have been discovered in a cemetery at the site of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.

Ancient Egypt quiz: Test your smarts about pyramids, hieroglyphs and King Tut
By Owen Jarus published
Quiz For over 3,000 years, ancient Egypt was one of the most powerful civilizations on Earth, with an empire stretching across half a dozen modern-day countries. How much do you know about this iconic culture? Take our quiz to find out.

Mysterious white substance smeared on 3,600-year-old mummies is world's oldest cheese
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
When researchers tested a mysterious substance on the heads and necks of ancient mummies found in China's Tarim Basin, they discovered that it was the world's oldest cheese.

Could bacteria or viruses lurking in ancient Egyptian mummies unleash a plague today?
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Do mummies contain pathogens that could be transferred to humans today, and should we be worried?

'Exceptional' discovery reveals more than 30 ancient Egyptian tombs built into hillside
By Kristel Tjandra published
The more than 30 tombs include family burials, such as children buried with their parents, in a hillside in Aswan, Egypt.

King Tutankhamun: Life, death and mummy of ancient Egypt's boy pharaoh
By Owen Jarus last updated
Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh whose lavish tomb became world-famous upon its discovery in 1922.

When did the ancient Egyptians first mummify their dead?
By Owen Jarus published
Before the ancient Egyptians purposefully mummified their dead, the desert did it for them naturally.
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