Mysterious Mummies

The history of mummification in ancient Egypt stretches all the way back to pre-dynastic times. The oldest Egypitan mummy, according to the archaeological record, has been dated to 3500 BC and was discovered in association with the Naqada culture. This culture was not part of classical pharaonic Egypt because the Egyptian state had yet to be unified under a sole ruler.  It is a considered a natural mummy because it was preserved by the dry, arid conditions of the desert, rather than being intentionally preserved that way by human hands.