When did the ancient Egyptians first mummify their dead?
Ancient Egyptians are perhaps best known for the way they treated the dead — from constructing colossal pyramids to filling subterranean tombs with lavish treasures and artifacts. The Egyptians also famously mummified many of the recently deceased to preserve their bodies. But when did people in ancient Egypt start mummify ing their dead? "The origins of Egyptian mummification, for which there is clear scientific evidence, is [circa] 4,300 B.C.," Stephen Buckley , a researcher at the University of York in the U.K. who co-wrote two papers on the topic, told Live Science in an email. "We may find it goes back earlier still," Buckley said. This evidence includes 6,300 year-old mummy wrappings that were found at an ancient Egyptian cemetery at the site of Mostagedda, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Cairo. The burials were excavated in the early 20th century, and the wrappings were brought to the U.K. and are now in the Bolton Museum as Buckley and c...