Covers mummies from a range of periods and geographical locations around the world. Explains the processes of decomposition and mummification, what mummies can tell us and how they can be studied.

Mummies are not just a phenomenon of ancient Egypt. Mummified corpses have also been discovered high in the mountains and the deserts of South America, in the ice of Greenland, in European churches and graves, in North European swamps and in Asia. The oldest mummies are nearly 9,000 years old while some of the most recent mummies include Lenin and Evita Peron. The distinguished mummy-researcher Albert Zink explains the different processes that conserve the human bodies in either a natural or artificial way. Zink guides the reader to the find spots of famous mummies like Otzi or Tutankhamen. He also presents lesser known mummies such as Juanita or Lady Dai, making his book an extensive reference work on the subject.