This lesson relates the mummification process to climate. Students will begin by finding out what Egypt's climate is like. They will then get a glimpse of how Egyptians mummified their dead and see how mummies could be created naturally in the dry Egyptian climate. They will conclude by writing paragraphs suggesting where they might look for mummies in other parts of the world, based on what they have learned about the role of climate in mummification.

Geography, world history

Standard 17: "How to apply geography to interpret the past"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• read and answer questions about Egypt's climate;
• use an Internet climate database to determine Egypt's annual rainfall and compare it to the rainfall in their hometown;
• read and discuss the Egyptian mummification process and its relation to climate;
• list the steps in the Egyptian mummification process; and
• write paragraphs explaining where in the world they might look for additional mummies.

Ask students to think about what they already know about mummies. Hold a brief (five- to ten-minute) discussion about these questions:

• What comes to your mind when you think of mummies?
• Why did ancient Egyptians want to preserve the bodies of their dead?
• Do you think the bodies would have been preserved if the Egyptians hadn't bothered to use all that cloth and other special techniques? Why or why not?

Have students go to National Geographic's Wild World: Terrestrial Ecoregions site and click on "Egypt" on the map. This will open a new window containing information about the climate of the Sahara. As a class, read the first two sections of this article ("Immense Sand Dunes and Swirling Winds" and "Special Features") and discuss the answers to these questions:

[Note: To save time, you may want to print these paragraphs and read them to the class rather than having them locate the page on the computer.]

• What are the temperatures like in the Sahara?
• Does this region get much rainfall?
• What does the landscape look like?

Have students find out more about Egypt's climate by going to the World Climate Web site. Ask them to follow these directions:

• Type in "Cairo, Egypt" in the city or town name window.
• Click "Search."
• Click on "Cairo, Egypt."
• Under Cairo, Egypt, click on "Average Rainfall."
• On a piece of paper, record Cairo's average rainfall in inches or millimeters for January, April, October, and July.
• Do the same for their own hometown. (Just type the city's name and then select the correct city from the next list that appears.)

Have students discuss the differences in rainfall between the two towns they have investigated. They should use their hometown as a basis of comparison. Thus, if they live in Phoenix, Arizona (a desert city), they will notice that Cairo gets even less rain than they do. If they live in a rainier location, the numbers should be very different between Cairo and their town.

Have students read the first page of the How to Make a Mummy site and discuss the relationship between the Egyptian climate and the mummification process. Do students think mummies could have been as well preserved in a tropical area or in their own hometown? Why or why not?

Have students continue on to the next pages of How to Make a Mummy to find out how Egyptian mummies were made. As they go through the site, ask them to list each step in the process in a few words (e.g., "remove brain matter" or "stuff salt into the abdomen"). When they're finished making this list, they can visit Mummies Unmasked to see an artist's portrayal of priests putting the finishing touches on a mummy.

Show students the picture of a reconstructed predynastic burial mummy. Explain that this mummy was made in Egypt hundreds of years before the Egyptians began using the formal mummification process.

Ask the class to discuss why this early mummy was so well preserved. Does this picture make them wonder why the later Egyptians went to all the trouble of the formal embalming process?

Have students write paragraphs about the following scenario:

Pretend you are a scientist who studies mummies. You want to find more mummies in other parts of the world, because you know that the Egyptians were not the only ones to mummify their dead. Where might you look, and why? Mention two or three places, and explain your answer. (Students might need to look at the Wild World Terrestrial Ecoregions site again to find out where deserts are located.)

Have students do additional Internet research to find out about other places where mummies have been found and learn about other methods of creating mummies. Have students create presentations titled "Mummies Around the World." Their presentations should explain where mummies have been found and the reasons they have been found in these places.

National Geographic: How to Make a Mummy
National Geographic: Inca MummiesSecrets of a Lost World
National Geographic: Mummies Unmasked
National Geographic: The Mummy Road Show
Odyssey Online: Egypt