The Scientific Study of Mummies [Hardcover]

"This is one of the best texts ever on mummy studies. It is well written, indexed, profusely illustrated and comprehensive. A great work at a great value." Journal of the American Association of Forensic Dentists

"...impressive and informative...Aufderheide deserves great credit for his tremendous contribution to a field of study touching upon so many areas of medicine." Journal of the American Medical Association

"The Scientific Study of Mummies is a veritable encyclopaedia of mummies and of mummy-research projects. Arthur C. Aufderheide is uniquely equipped to write such a book, having personally dissected more than 500 mummies.... this book should be required reading for any serious researcher on the sometimes gory but always fascinating subject of mummies and what they can teach us about human beliefs and behavior." Nature

"This compelling 625-page magnum opus, destined to become a classic, is an authoritative reference work.... Essential." Choice

Mummies are studied to answer questions about the health, social standing, and beliefs of past human populations, and to reveal the lessons that they present to modern populations. This authoritative reference work explores the reasons why people mummify bodies and the mechanisms by which they are preserved. Arthur Aufderheide details study methods and surveys the myriad examples that can be found worldwide. In addition, he evaluates the use and abuse of mummified bodies throughout the ages, and discusses how mummified remains can be conserved for the future.

Many cultures have attempted to stop the decay of human and other bodies after death, but spontaneously mummified bodies are also found. By careful scientific study, much can be learned of the lives, deaths and health of the individuals to whom these remains belong. Covering how and why people preserve bodies, natural mummification, mummies worldwide, study methods and conservation, this lavishly illustrated work written by one of the leading researchers in the field will quickly become the major reference in paleopathology, archaeology and anthropology.

ARTHUR C. AUFDERHEIDE is a Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.