Final answer:
Mummification was a process used in ancient Egypt, notably to prepare individuals for the afterlife by removing organs and wrapping the body in linen. The practice was part of a larger tradition of elaborate funerary customs seen in different cultures worldwide.
Step-by-step explanation:
In ancient times, mummification was most famously carried out in Egypt. This elaborate process of preserving the body for the afterlife began during the Old Kingdom and continued for thousands of years. Notable examples include mummies wrapped with strips of linen, such as the first century AD mummy of Herakleides, which illustrates the intermingling of Roman and Egyptian funerary practices. The internal organs were commonly removed and placed in canopic jars, except for the heart, which was believed to be the embodiment of the soul and therefore left within the body.
However, Egypt wasn't the only civilization to practice mummification. The Chinchorro culture of South America also performed mummification, with techniques evolving over time, such as painting the bodies and aiding the drying process with hot coals. While mummification in Egypt was often associated with elaborate tombs like pyramids, other cultures around the world have demonstrated similarly intricate burial customs, such as China's terracotta warriors in the tomb of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.