Official Kids Mag www.kidscoop.com © Vicki Whiting October 2022
6
What is a mummy?
A mummy is a dead body
that has been preserved.
When people die, the body usually
begins to decay. Soft parts, such
as the skin and other organs, soon
rot away. But in mummies, the
body does not decay. Sometimes
the bodies were preserved on
purpose. Other times, the body
is preserved by accident. It might
have been frozen, left in a very
dry place or even covered
by a peat bog.
This mystifying mummy is trying
to trick you. Can you separate
fact from fiction? Follow the
mummy's wrappings to check
your mummy memory.
False. They
made animal
mummies to
give the dead
food or
companionship
in the afterlife.
False. Mummies, or
preserved dead bodies,
have been found in such
places as the Alps,
in Florida and in
southern Peru.
False. People
in Chile were
mummifying
their dead
2,000 years
before the
Egyptians.
True. They
preserved
dead bodies
so each
spirit would
recognize
its body.
Standards Link: History: Students analyze the
religious and social structures of the early
civilizations of Egypt.
For Egyptians, the scarab beetle
was a symbol of life after death.
It is found on masks, jewelry and
decorations that adorn the tombs
holding their mummies.
How many
scarabs can
you find on
these pages?
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