mummify

Permafrost, earth that remains frozen year-round, can also mummify.

Combining cold and dry conditions can mummify bodies even when it’s not consistently chilly enough to keep a body frozen year-round.

Scientists explain how environments ranging from bogs to icy mountaintops can stave off decay and—with a bit of luck—mummify bodies.

A type of moss often found in bogs also helps mummify bodies, Mulhall adds.

This helps mummify corpses—though sphagnan also leaches the calcium out of bones, weakening them.