SHOCKING facts about mummies

Did you know that ancient South Americans began mummifying their deceased 2,000 years before the Egyptians! Or that Kind Ramses II is the first mummy to receive a passport. Or that mummies have been found on every single continent.

Whether you are a fan of Egyptology, mummies, or even horror films, these shocking facts about mummies are sure to enthrall and fascinate you. Read on to find out more!

  1. Onions were often used as false eyes in ancient Egyptian mummification.
  2. Tremendous amounts of linen were used for mummification, with one mummy using over 9,000 feet of linen, which could cover three tennis courts.
  3. During the European Middle Ages, mummies were often used in medicine, with oils from boiled mummies being used for treating bruising, stomach ache, and other ailments.
  4. According to the ancient Egyptian religion, the very first mummy was Osiris.
  5. Millions of visitors from around the world visit Moscow to view the most famous mummy in the world, Vladimir Lenin.
  6. The ancient Egyptians removed all internal organs, except the heart. This was because they believed that a mummified person would be judged in the afterlife based on their heart. Oftentimes, they would also use a powerful amulet called the heart scarab, to protect the heart.
  7. The oldest mummy in Europe dates over 5,300 years and is called the “Iceman” as he was preserved in a glacier in the Alps.
  8. Animal mummification was an integral part of ancient Egyptian culture, with all kinds of animals being mummified ranging from cats, rams, mice, to even rats.
  9. Egypt is home to over one million mummies that have been discovered across its ancient civilization. Most of these mummies are cats.
  10. Lady of Dai, a woman named Xin Zhui is the world’s most well-preserved mummy. She passed away over 2000 years ago but still has all her internal organs, skin, hair, blood, and limbs preserved.
  11. The oldest mummy in North America is over 10,600 years old and was found in 1940 in Nevada.
  12. The word “mummy” originates from the Persian word mūm which denotes both the embalming substance and wax.
  13. Mummies are classified as anthropogenic, i.e manmade, or spontaneous, i.e created naturally.
  14. Medical autopsies of mummies have shown the ancient humans also suffered from most of the modern diseases common today such as malnutrition, sinusitis, smallpox, cancer, and tuberculosis.