The act of mummifying a dead body is intended to preserve it so it does not decay further. In many ancient cultures this act was steeped in ritual, and mummified bodies have been found on every continent in the world. However, through histories these mummified remains have been used in a variety of bizarre and peculiar ways.
Although it is not confirmed, Mummy paper is believed to be paper made from the linen wrappings of mummies imported into the United States in 1855. In the 1850s, the US was suffering a shortage of paper, producing more than England and France combined. To combat this, the papermakers utilised the wrappings from mummies that were found in huge burial sites known as “mummy pits” in Egypt. Mummies were also ground up and used in medicine and there are even reports of mummies being used to fuel locomotives. Ground up mummies were also used to paint with, in a pigment known as “mummy brown”, and they were even used to make oils, soaps and incense.
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