Under Wraps Finding animal mummies is just one step in


learning about the ancient Egyptians. We also need to see what’s under their wrappings. Once, scientists took mummies apart to


study them. It was the only way they could see inside the bundles, but it destroys them. Today, we use X-rays and CT scans. We expect to see bones in the images. Sometimes, though, we are surprised by what else we find. One surprise came when we examined two


ibis mummies. T ey had been found in Abydos, an ancient city where some of Egypt’s earliest kings are buried. T e images showed that the birds’ internal organs had been removed. T at is normal. T en we saw something odd. Packets of snails had been tucked where their stomachs belonged. We wondered why. We have found human mummies buried


with grains, fruits, and even cuts of meat. T is evidence helped us think about the grain and snails. Maybe, like humans, these birds were sent to their aſt erlife with food to go.


Making Mummies I don’t just examine mummies. I make them,


too. T is experimental archaeology helps me learn how ancient mummy makers worked. T ese people knew how to preserve bodies


so they really last. Yet they leſt few step-by-step instructions, so I have tried to figure it out. Evidence leſt in the bodies has helped. For


example, using high-tech tools, I can analyze the chemicals used to preserve the bodies. T e tests detect natron, a kind of salt. Salt dries out a body. T e tests also pick up traces of tree sap. T is resin kills bacteria. It also leaves a sweet scent, like the one that lingers inside the tombs. T is evidence did not give me an exact


recipe or the technology once used to make a mummy, though. T at is why I experimented.


22 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME EXPLORER


Trial and Error I bought dead rabbits at a local market. T e


first one, I covered in natron. I got a smelly lesson in why it is important to remove the organs. T e rabbit quickly rotted. For the next mummy, I removed the lungs,


liver, guts, and stomach first. T en I sprinkled natron inside. T at was a mistake. As the salt absorbed moisture and fat, it turned into a sticky, smelly mess. Finally, I remembered some evidence found


at sites where mummy makers once worked. Archaeologists found cloth packets filled with natron. Maybe the packets made it easier to deal with the gooey mess. I made and stuff ed similar packets into the


third body. T is time it worked. In 20 days, the salt dried the rabbit. T en I easily removed the packets. No big mess. My conclusion was right. Finally, I rubbed the body with warm resin


and oil to prevent bacteria from growing and to make it smell good. I wrapped it and held a ceremony. Today, I keep my rabbit mummy in a cabinet. It is well preserved and does not smell bad. My experiment worked! I like to think of this rabbit happily hopping in its aſt erlife. T ere is still a lot we do not know about


life—and death—in ancient Egypt, though. So I will be crawling through tombs looking for animal mummies for years to come. I cannot wait to unwrap more mummy mysteries.


Wordwise


conclusion: an opinion formed after analyzing information


evidence: information that shows that something is true


experiment: to test an ideas


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