Mummies and Mummification

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Introduction

National Middle School Science Standards

Life Science, Physical Science

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

Key Terms

physical anthropology, archaeology, skeletal remains, mummification, burial practices, decomposition, culture

Key Concepts

Skeletal analysis for age, sex, ancestry, and health
Cultural burial practices over time
Chemical process of mummification
Scientific benefits of studying mummies
Technology used by physical anthropologists

Resource Types

Videos and Webcasts

Mummy Science - Natural and Cultural Preserved Remains with Smithsonian Physical Anthropologist David Hunt on Smithsonian Science How
Forensic Anthropology – Bone Whispering with Smithsonian Anthropologist Kari Bruwelheide on Smithsonian Science How
A Mummy "Grows" with CT Scans and 3D Digital Technology Smithsonian Insider

Online Activities

Mummy Science - Natural and Cultural Preserved Remains Smithsonian Learning Lab

Science Literacy Resources

Middle School Level

Egyptian Mummies Smithsonian

High School Level

9 Lives in Ancient Egypt Unearthed Blog
Ancient Ink: Iceman Otzi Has World’s Oldest Tattoos Smithsonian Insider
Egyptian Mummification Rituals Uncovered at Natural History Smithsonian Magazine
Creatures of the Gods: Animal Mummies from Ancient Egypt Smithsonian AnthroNotes (PDF)
Papyrus Found in a Mummy Mask may be the Oldest Known Copy of a Gospel Smithsonian Magazine

Advanced Reading Level

How One Mummy Came to the Smithsonian Smithsonian Magazine
Two of the Vatican's "Ancient" Egyptian Mummies are 19th Century Fakes Smithsonian Magazine
A Child's Mummy Smithsonian AnthroNotes (PDF)
The Egyptian Afterlife: What to Take with You and Why Smithsonian AnthroNotes (PDF)

Subject Guides

Anthropology Subject Guide Smithsonian Libraries

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The Mummification teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations.

Life Science

MS-LS 1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

MS-LS1-1 Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
MS-LS1-5 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

Physical Science

MS-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions

MS-PS1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

National Curriculum Standards For Social Studies (NCSS)

The Mummification teaching resources support students in meeting the following Social Studies standards:

Time, Continuity, and Change

Studying the past makes it possible for us to understand the human story across time.
Knowledge and understanding of the past enable us to analyze the causes and consequences of events and developments, and to place these in the context of the institutions, values and beliefs of the periods in which they took place.
Knowing how to read, reconstruct and interpret the past allows us to answer questions such as: How do we learn about the past? How can we evaluate the usefulness and degree of reliability of different historical sources?

People, Places, and Environments

The study of people, places, and environments enables us to understand the relationship between human populations and the physical world.
During their studies, learners develop an understanding of spatial perspectives, and examine changes in the relationship between peoples, places and environments.

Resource Type