Images

"Beauty of Xiaohe", one of the Tarim mummies, buried c. 1800-1500 BCE, excavated from Xiaohe (Little River) Cemetery 5, Charqilik (Ruoqiang) County, Xinjiang, in 2003. Secrets of the Silk Road Exhibit, Houston Museum of Natural Science...

The body of Xin Zhui (c. 217 BCE to 168/169 BCE), aka Lady Dai, was extremely well preserved in her tomb. She was buried in four coffins in an underground burial chamber, where the conditions were ideal to prevent decomposition. The tomb...

North American Rattlesnake – crotalus cerastes – photographed by Victor Rocha at Mesquite Springs campground, Death Valley National Park, California.

A Chinchorro child, mummified using the black technique. The Chinchorro culture flourished in modern-day Chile from approximately 9,000 to 3,500 years ago and produced the world's oldest intentionally preserved mummies from c. 5500 BCE. The...

The Tollund Man was c. 30-40 years old when he died by hanging c. 405-380 BCE. He was found in 1950 in a bog c. 10 km west of Silkeborg. The Tollund Man's head was preserved but his body dried out; now a recreation of the body is on display...

The Yde Girl died sometime between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE. She was about 16 years old when she died; most likely she was executed or sacrificed. Her body was discovered in 1897 in a bog near Yde, Drenthe, the Netherlands...

A cafe owner sells tea in the street during the London Blitz (1940-1). (Imperial War Museums)

A photograph showing bomb damage in Balham during the London Blitz (1940-1). October 1940. A bomb hit the Balham Underground Station, killing 68 people. The bus then drove into the crater, a frequent consequence of blackout conditions. (Imperial...

A photograph showing King Geroge VI (r. 1936-52) and Queen Elisabeth visiting the bomb damage at Buckingham Palace during the London Blitz, September 1940. (Imperial War Museums)

The Inuit mummies of Qilakitsoq, Greenland, are about 500 years old and were found in Greenland in 1972. Eight mummies were found: three older women, three younger women, and two small boys. Greenland National Museum, Nuuk.