The mummies that were made intentionally were placed in elaborate tombs. In later
times, the tombs were always built on the west side of the river
Nile and the cites were built on the east side. This was done
because the land of the dead was believed to be to the west of Egypt
where Ra, the sun god traveled at the end of the day.
Mummies are mostly found in parts of the world that are very hot
and dry or very cold. However mummies are also found in parts of America
and the muddy bogs of England and Ireland.
Mummies have been found all over the world from 4000 B.C. to
1920 A.D.
The first mummies were made accidentally by the dryness and heat
of the sand that they were buried in. Bodies that were not put
in contact with the sand were exposed to dampness and bacteria,
so they decayed.