When ancient Egyptians mummified the deceased, they did so to preserve bodies for the afterlife. Centuries after the practice stopped, Egyptian mummies really did get an afterlife - just not the kind they were expecting.
Europeans consumed mummies as a form of medical cannibalism: They crushed up parts of mummies and consumed the powder - called mumia - as a medicine for a litany of ailments. The practice was especially fashionable in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Mummy consumption was so widespread over such a long period that it actually began to exhaust the supply of ancient mummies. As zoologist Bill Schutt recounted in his history of cannibalism:
The problem was that there were only a limited number of Egyptian mummies being sent to Europe, leading to shortages and legions of grumpy mummy fans. In response, a thriving cottage industry popped up to supply ersatz mumia.
Reportedly, by the end of the 17th century the quality of bootleg mummy had gotten so bad that buyers were advised to "choose what is of a shining black, not full of bones and dirt, and of a good smell."
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