Myth
4. Mummies are
always buried the same way.
Fact:
Mummies are
buried in two different ways.
People generally visualize mummies wrapped in
linen bandages, fitted into decorated coffins, and hidden in dusty tombs.
Numerous movies and books have portrayed mummies in exactly this way.
Although it is true that many intentional
Egyptian mummies look like this, some were wrapped only in a reed mat. As
for accidental mummies and most intentional mummies of the world, they are
buried quite differently. They may be dressed in clothes or be naked. They
may be placed in tombs, put into baskets, or stretched out on large wooden
platforms.
What mummies do share is the position in which
they are buried. In fact, almost all mummies are found in one of two
positions. Sometimes the body is flexed, either tightly or loosely;
that is, it is drawn up into a fetal position. A tightly flexed mummy is
curled up into a ball, while a loosely flexed mummy will look much more
relaxed. A flexed mummy can be seated, kneeling, or reclining. Other times
the body is extended; that is, stretched out. For example,
intentional Egyptian mummies are always in extended positions, though
Egyptologist Thomas Pettigrew noted that the position of their arms can
vary:
The arms are found either lying along the sides
of the body, the palms of the hands in contact with the thighs, or placed
upon the groins, or brought forward in contact with each other, or they
are placed across the breast, or, as in some rare instances, one arm
extended along the side of the body, while the other is carried across the
chest.
On the other hand, accidental Egyptian mummies
uncovered in the sand are almost always in flexed positions.
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