The process of treating a dead body with special chemicals to preserve it and slow decay.
From Old French 'embaumer'; 'em-' (into) plus 'baum' relating to 'balsam' (from Latin 'balsamum'), a fragrant resin used in preservation. Ancient Egyptians pioneered this technique over 5,000 years ago.
Ancient Egyptian embalmers were so skilled that some mummies have survived 3,000+ years better than bodies buried in our modern cemeteries—their dry climate and natron salt treatment created the perfect preservation conditions.
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