The term "mummy" was used to describe

The ancient Egyptians believed strongly in life after death. They believed that a person would need his body to exist in his afterlife. (20) Therefore, they carefully preserved the body by treating it with spices and oils and wrapping it in linen cloth. (18) The wrapped body was then placed in a tomb. A body that is treated in this way is called a mummy.
     Egyptian kings and nobles wanted to be certain that their mummies would be kept in safe places forever. They had great tombs built for themselves and their families. Many kings were buried in secret tombs carved out of solid rock in a place near Thebes called the Valley of the Kings.
     About eighty kings built towering pyramid-shaped stone tombs. These pyramids have become famous as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
     (19) One of the most amazing things about these pyramids is that they were constructed without using wheels or heavy equipment to move or raise the rocks. Egypt did not learn about the wheel until long after the pyramids were built. Workmen used levers to get large blocks of stone on and off sledges and hauled them into place over long ramps built around the pyramids.