How do natural features such as rivers, lakes, and mountains help unite people, or keep them isolated from each other?

Natural features like lakes, rivers, and mountains have always played a large part in our history and divided different countries. Our world is divided into seven continents, which makes four large, separate landmasses. Each one of these landmasses were not connected until the 1700's. During the era of exploration three new continents were founded: North America, South America, and Australia. Each one of these continents had been isolated from the lands everybody knew because of oceans and seas. The ocean had kept North and South America completely isolated from Europe, Africa and Asia. On a smaller note rivers and lakes can also divide people even if they are not that large. Before the Egyptians could sail across the Nile they were separated from the people on the other side. The Himalayas in Asia could have also kept the people who lived there isolated from the rest of the people in Asia. Natural features could also keep people united because they might have to keep together to overcome some obstacles; like the people in Egypt.

Nile Paragraph

I wake up to the swishing of the waves on the hull of the boat shaking me and rocking me back and forth. I make my way to the deck of the boat and there I see a beautiful dawn rising on the plains beyond the great granite cliffs. As the boat sails further and further down the Nile I begin to see more and more villages, farms, and towns. The constant movement of the boat makes my weak stomach feel weak. The beautiful trees cliffs and deserts pass by me as we sail down the Nile. My destination grows nearer and the sight of Memphis draws into sight . The smell of the fish in the hull grows stronger as my senses begin to become more aware. I yawn with a deep breathe tasting the air of my home. As I sail into port the sounds of the city and the fish seller unloading my boat grow strong. I exit my boat and take a good look at Memphis, my home. 

Indonesian Mummies?

List at least FIVE questions that you would ask about a place to determine whether it might be a promising location to find human mummies. Your questions should relate to climate, culture, religion and other factors that you think are important. Include Images!!!!!

Indonesia

1. Are there any ancient civilizations that used to live here?

2. Is there a cold enough climate to mummify a person with ice?

3. What is the country that resides there now?

4. Is it a swampy area?

5. What are some of the main religious practices of the people that live in this area?

Mummies

Cryonics- [krahy-on-iks]


–noun ( used with a singular verb )
the deep-freezing of human bodies at death for preservation and possible revival in the future.


Mummy- [muhm-ee]

noun, plural -mies, verb, -mied, -my·ing.

–noun

1.

the dead body of a human being or animal preserved bythe ancient Egyptian process or some similar method ofembalming.

2.

a dead body dried and preserved by nature.

3.

a withered or shrunken living being.

1. In what parts of the world have mummies been found?

Mummies have been found all over the world. The most famous place that mummies have been found and the place people usually think mummies come from is Egypt. In Egypt people would mummify dead kings/pharaohs in large tombs to prepare them for the afterlife. There are also mummies in Northern Chile. Anthropologist Bernardo Ariaza said that in Chile they invented mummufication to extend the lives of their dead children.

2. In what types of places (physical geography and climate) have mummies been found?

Since nature has a way of preserving dead bodies mummies are found all over the world. Some places of intentional mummufication are Egypt and Chile; though, more mummies have been made by nature unintentionally. There have been many mummies found in northern Europe recovered from bogs, and also u the Andean peaks there have been mummies that have been frozen for thousands of years and have stayed there. 

3. How did Ancient Egyptians preserve their dead

· First, purify the body by washing it with water.

· Make an incision on the left side of the body, below the heart.

· Remove the liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach. Leave the heart intact, as the deceased will require the heart to travel to the spirit world.

· Put each of the 4 organs you have removed into its own canopic jar.

· Insert the hooked tool into the deceased's nostril and pull the brain out through the nose. The brain can be discarded.

· Liberally cover the body in natron (a natural salt, composed of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate with traces of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate). The natron will dehydrate the body and allow the blood to drain from it.

· Allow the body to drain for 40 days.

· When the body is fully dehydrated, wrap natron-soaked gauze or bandages around it. Make sure to cover the body completely from head to toe.

· Decorate the mummy with an appropriate designs or mask that fits the social station the deceased had in life

4. Why do you think ancient Egyptians took such care to embalm their dead if the desert could do the job for them?

The Ancient Egyptians probably didn't know that that the desert could mummify their dead. They also wanted to show respect for dead kings and give them a happy afterlife. In Egyptian tombs, kings were buried with all sorts of food, gold and other luxuries. This was because they wanted the kings to have a good journey to the afterlife. If they just through the kings into the desert it would be a bad trip to the afterlife and the gods might have feared the gods or the new king getting mad at them. 

5. What features of the natural environment can cause bodies to be mummified unintentionally?

Many different environments can mummify dead. One of the most common ones are ice and snow. Ice is obviously something that can preserve a dead body easily because when somebody dies in the middle of a freezing mountain everything in the body becomes frozen and over thousands of years it is preserved. Another natural environment that can preserve are bogs. The swamps can perfectly preserve the  bodies. 

6. According to current scientific beliefs, what are some reasons people were intentionally mummified.

In England and Europe historians believe mummies there were sacrificed and left to the bogs to be mummified. In ancient Egypt it was to prepare the kings for the afterlife, and in Chile they mummified their dead children so they could live longer lives.

Babylon Poster