Mummies

This passage explains how mummies are created.

Lexile Level: 980L

Categories: History Science & Technology

You might think mummies are only for Halloween, but mummies actually do exist. A mummy is a body that has been preserved after death. Many mummies are found in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that if a loved one's body was preserved after death, it would have a safe passage to another life. The act of preserving the body was considered a religious ritual. Although some people were preserved by accident because of extremely dry or cold weather, most mummies were preserved by their relatives. They used smoke and certain chemicals to make it happen. After several processes, the dead person was carefully wrapped from head to toe with rolls of linen and placed in a coffin that was painted to look like him or her. Today, scientists and researchers are grateful that the ancient Egyptians mummified their dead. Mummies help them to understand the human body as well as different cultures in history.