It can even take place if the body is wrapped in plastic [1], [2], [6], [7], [8], [10], [11], [12].
Mummification results from the dehydration and desiccation of soft tissues. Most of the scientific literature concerns ancient mummies (especially Egyptian and Peruvian mummies). Hot and dry climates are favorable conditions for dehydration [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. Mummification may occur indoors, in catacombs and crypts [6], and occasionally in tanks [7], caskets or sarcophagi [8], or boxes [9]. It can even take place if the body is wrapped in plastic [1], [2], [6], [7], [8], [10], [11], [12]. Mummification has been known to occur underwater, for example in some marshes of Northern Europe, the result of an acidic and anaerobic environment. In these instances, the mummies remain flexible and retain some anatomical details such as fingerprints and tattoos [13]. Inhumation may also lead to mummification, as can occur in certain sandy soils [1], [14]. Salt mummies have also been discovered in salt mines [2], [15].