Welcome to Egypt, home to 100 million people and many of the greatest ancient treasures in the world! The land is mostly desert here. So the first cities grew on the land along the Nile, Egypt’s largest river.
About 5,000 years ago, these cities became the heart of a mighty civilization. One of its leaders, or pharaohs, was Amenhotep I. He ruled 3,500 years ago. When he died, his organs were put into jars. His body was wrapped in cloth strips. This is called mummification. Ancient Egyptians believed the dead needed their bodies in the afterlife, so they tried to preserve them.
Two months ago, Egyptian scientists announced big news. They looked inside Amenhotep’s mummy without even touching it. They used X-rays and computers to “see” his skeleton under the cloth. Experts could learn about the leader without damaging his mummy.