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[[File:Limestone,_jackal_headed_canopic_jar,_Egyptian,_2000BC_to_10_Wellcome_L0058459.jpg|left|thumbnail|300px|Jackal-headed Canopic Jar]]
The word “mummy” comes from an Arabic word that refers to asphalt, which alludes to the black color of the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptians. It was believed that this black color was a result of the corpse being treated with bitumen. We now know that the black color of ancient Egyptian mummies is a result of oils, resins, dirt and age.<ref>Ikram, Salima. “Mummification.” <i>UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology</i>. 2010 ed. UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles. Web. 11 Nov. 2015, p. 2.</ref>
Since their rediscovery, in the 19th century, we have learned a great deal about the ancient Egyptians and the reasons they left mummies behind. It is commonly said that the Egyptians mummified their dead to preserve the body for the afterlife, but this is an oversimplification of a very complicated process and a corresponding set of beliefs. The practice of embalming, anointing, wrapping and reciting spells for the dead reflects the sophisticated way in which the Egyptians viewed life, death, and the underworld.
====Religious Beliefs about the Human Body and the Afterlife====
