Mummies have been found in the 'four corners' region of the U.S. The tradition of preserving the dead lasted through the Inca civilization of western South America until the 1500s or 1600s A.D., when the Spanish conquered Inca and put an end to the tradition. On the north coast of what is now Chile in South America, the Chinchoros fishing tribe mummified their dead as early as 5,000 B.C. Mummies that have been dated to thousands of years before the ancient Egyptians have been found in both North America and South America. Scientists have found mummies of humans and animals on every continent. However, they weren't the first civilization to mummify bodies. The ancient Egyptians certainly perfected the process of mummification, creating as many as 70 million mummies over the course of 3,000 or more years. Ancient Egyptians believed it was necessary to preserve the body after death, because the physical body would still be needed in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians are well-known for mummifying humans and even animals, especially cats. Most people associate mummies with ancient Egypt, and there's a good reason for that. Real mummies are real people and animals whose bodies have been preserved through a special process called mummification. They won't rise up with their arms extended and begin to chase you. The mummies scientists find aren't the kind you see in cheesy scary movies. What are we talking about? Mummies, of course!

Sometimes they find nearly intact whole bodies of human beings and animals. In certain parts of the world, though, archeologists sometimes uncover more than just pieces of the past. Many archeologists spend their time digging through ancient sites searching for artifacts from the past, whether they are old bones or pieces of clay pottery. Have you ever dreamed of being an archeologist? Can you imagine exploring the pyramids of Egypt? Wouldn't it be cool to see inside King Tut's tomb?

Natron definition ancient egypt