Mummy: The Inside Story [Library Binding]

Grade 5-9–Utilizing striking images from Computerized Tomography (CT) scanning, this book takes readers through the process of investigating the nearly 3000-year-old mummified remains of Nesperennub. The text describes each step in the examination, looking at the coffin and hieroglyphs first, and then moving to the specifics of the body and the objects that accompany it. Along with descriptions of the process, readers learn what scientists make of the find and why they draw these conclusions. The first few sections about the discovery of the mummy and the meaning of the hieroglyphs are fairly dry, but they set the stage for the more exciting examination of the body and the intriguing details that come to light. CT images and X rays vividly depict the findings described. Often readers see multiple views of the same feature, showing how the three-dimensional images can reveal subtle new insights. Some have led scientists to new knowledge about Egyptian life, while others have given rise to theories that have yet to be confirmed. Nesperennub has a snake-shaped amulet above his eye socket, a small round hole through his skull, and a clay bowl stuck to his head. It's fascinating to learn how scientists speculate about the origins of these items, which might have involved religious practices, illness, or even, in the case of the bowl, an embalmer's error. There are many excellent mummy books available, but this one explores the impact and potential of cutting-edge technology especially well.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Egyptian mummies are perennially popular with visitors to museums but what is their relevance in the twenty-first century? And what can we learn from the study of these ancient remains? Mummies are an unparalleled source of scientific data, addressing a host of questions about life in one of the most highly developed societies of the ancient world. Although the ancient Egyptians left many written records, these tell only part of the story, and researchers rely heavily on human remains to complete the picture. These throw light on many important issues about which the inscriptions are often silent: physical anthropology, family relationships, life expectancy, nutrition and health, disease and the causes of death. They also of course provide a unique insight into the fascinating and complex processes of mummification; including not only the artificial preservation of the corpse, but also the ritual elements which played such an important part: the placing of amulets, the putting on of wrappings and the equipping of the body with religious texts and images. For many years, the only way to extract this data from Egyptian mummies was to unwrap them a process both destructive and irreversible. Then, the advent of modern non-invasive imaging techniques X-rays and Computerized Tomography (CT) scanning made it possible to look inside a mummy without disturbing the wrappings in any way. Now this technology has advanced still further. Thanks to the latest computer-generated images, we are able to perform a virtual unwrapping of a mummy and to embark on a journey within the body, visualizing every feature and amulet in 3D. The subject chosen for this ground-breaking experiment, the priest Nesperennub, has been one of the British Museums treasured exhibits for over a hundred years. His beautifully painted mummy-case has never been opened since it was sealed up by embalmers on the West Bank at Thebes shortly before he was buried, but now after 2,800 years technology has unlocked its secrets. This book takes the reader on a journey of discovery, gathering information about Nesperennub from a variety of sources. First, his place in history and his role in Egyptian society are pieced together from the inscriptions the formal record of his life which was intended for posterity. Then the 3D technology makes it possible to enter the mummy case and to explore the body, collecting data about Nesperennub as a person, seeing his face, assessing his health, and looking over the shoulders of the embalmers as they prepared him for eternal life. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.