Inca Child

When describing the discovery of an ancient love letter placed upon the body of a loved one, Chris Scarre, head of the archaeology department at the University of Durham, said: “Archaeologists who investigate tombs are often moved to wonder about the character of the deceased, the thoughts of the mourners and their hopes and fears on the passing of a person dear to them.”

Mummies of humans and other animals have been found on every continent. Here we feature ten unique mummy discoveries from around the world.