Well preserved bodies are often referred to as 'mummies'. The name mummy comes from the Arabic word, mumia, which means bitumen. It was first used to describe the preserved bodies of Ancient Egyptians. The resins applied to Egyptian mummies to assist in the mummification process were mistakenly thought to be bitumen and the word came to be used to describe the preserved body itself. It is now applied to bodies that are both naturally and artificially mummified.
Unlike a skeleton or fossil, a mummy retains some of the body's soft tissue (skin, organs and muscles) it had when it was alive. Mummification can be achieved naturally in some environments that prevent the growth of bacteria or fungi and the appearance of insects. It can also be achieved artificially through techniques such as embalming, smoking, or the removal of internal organs.
Many cultures practised the process of deliberate mummification for many different reasons - to keep the body intact and recognisable for the afterlife, as a memorial to the dead, or out of fear of the spirits of the dead. Mummification occurred in places and cultures as diverse at those from China, North and South America, Australia, Tibet, Africa and throughout the Pacific.
The earliest deliberately preserved bodies are those of the Chinchorro culture of northern Chile which date back about 7000 years. Today, the preserved bodies of famous political leaders, such as Lenin and Mao Tse Teung, demonstrate the continuing urge to defy death in some way.
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2010