Mummified Tissues

In its broadest definition, the term “mummy” or “mummified tissue” refers to the remains of a deceased human being or animal, in which—contrasting to skeletal remains—at least some soft tissue components have remained protected from natural decay. Mummification may result from spontaneous natural processes occurring under various environmental conditions, or it may be artificially induced by anthropogenic practices known from different cultures and periods around the world. Thanks to their unique state of preservation, which often persists for centuries or even millennia, the study of mummies unlocks information on the evolutionary determinants of human and animal life, health, and disease.