Mummies

Officially, a mummy is a body that is preserved. Some mummies are made naturally. Some are made on purpose, by people. The basic idea is that if you keep bacteria and fungi from growing, the dead body won't decay.

Egyptians are probably the most famous mummy-makers (even though other cultures, like the Incas did it first). The hot, dry weather in Egypt sometimes quick-dried dead bodies and made mummies. This got the Egyptians thinking, and they started making mummies about 3000 BC. They thought that by preserving the body, they could reunify the body and spirit after death. The first step in their mummification process was to remove most of the organs, like the lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, and even the brain (which they took out through the nose--Yuk!). Then, they'd rinse the body with wine (to kill bacteria), pack it with natron (a salt-like substance) and leave the body to dry for a while. Then, they'd use perfume and paints to make the body beautiful. Finally, they'd wrap the whole thing in strips of linen. This, they believed, would guarantee eternal life. Egyptians stopped making mummies about 500 AD.

Other mummification processes involve very cold temperatures, and oxygen deprivation--because both of these things stop bacteria. Pretty creepy, huh?

Now, if you decide to be a mummy for Halloween, I recommend using lots of toilet paper. But you can skip the perfume and the salt!