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.

Related Topics: Ancient Egypt, Archaeology,

Latest Updates

Iceman Mummy Had Moss in His Tummy

By Jeanna Bryner

Iceman may have accidentally drank water containing one of the mosses and used another to wrap food.

Iceman Mummy Leaves Few Relatives

By Jeanna Bryner

The Iceman likely has no modern-day relatives.

King Tut Had Twins, But Why?

By Meredith F. Small

The possibility of twins for Tut also underscores the fact that conceiving twins is a common human story.

Mummified Iceman's Ancient Job Determined

By Jeanna Bryner

The glacier mummy called Iceman was likely a herdsman.

Greek Mummy Found in Lead Coffin

By Robin Lloyd

A mummy of a woman dating to Ancient Greek times has been discovered.

Ulcers Discovered in Mummies

By Live Science Staff

Two Mexican mummies had ulcers when they were alive.

Climate Threat: Thawing Tundra Releases Infected Corpses

By Kristin Elise Phillips

Global warming unlocks tundra, with it some frozen corpses infected with smallpox.

Lice Shed Light on Ancient History of Americas

By Charles Q. Choi

New findings pin blame for lice on Vikings, not Christopher Columbus.

Top 10 weird ways we deal with the dead

By Heather Whipps

Dying is a fact of life, as is the disposal of a body after the fact. You know all about burial and cremation, but here are the other ways people, past and present- have dealt with the departed.