But this does not mean that the word “mummy” is incorrect to name these people. However, within the communication criteria stipulated by the staff of the British Museum, it is “dehumanizing”, as the Daily Mail. So “using the term ‘mummified person’ encourages our visitors to think about the individual,” they continue.
The word “mummy” has been in use in English since at least 1615. The fact is that some people consider this term as a colonial scar. The word mummy descends from Persian mum (wax), mummia (something impregnated with wax), and then from Arabic mummiya (substance used for embalming). That word means “bitumen”, which was the product used to embalm the bodies, according to the British portal.
Thinking ahead, and even though the names of the mummified people are unknown, those in charge of the British Museum will use “man, woman, boy, girl or mummified person”since it deals with people and not things.
In other art galleries such as the Great North Museum in Newcastle or the National Museum in Edinburgh have previously adopted this more “respectful” designation.
And those of Guanajuato?
In Mexico we have a museum where you can see mummified people in the city of Guanajuato. This very unique tourist attraction of the capital of that state in which the current collection of largest natural mummies in the world, cultural heritage of the Municipality of Guanajuatoof which 57 elements can be seen today in this enclosure.
Unlike those in other parts of the world, such as the famous ones in Egypt, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Russia and even in the Canary Islands. The Guanajuato mummies are natural, since they did not go through a conservation or embalming process and their state of mummification is explained by the lack of oxygen and moisture exchange with the outside of the drawers.
In the case of the description of the mortuary remains that are exhibited in their galleries of the Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato They refer to these as mummies.