The Scientific Study of Mummies [Hardcover]

Review of the hardback: '… 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 behaviour.' Sarah Wiseman, Nature

Review of the hardback: '… a classic work …'. The Lancet

Review of the hardback: '… will become the standard reference text for bioarchaeological studies of mummified human remains and it is unlikely that the book will be superseded in this role for a very long time.' International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Review of the hardback: '… an indispensable research tool for students of ancient populations and palaeophathology … a work of immense scholarship, superbly documents and exhaustively referenced.' Times Higher Education Supplement

Review of the hardback: 'Aufderheide's book, with its careful descriptions, beautiful illustrations, clear facts and timely reflections of a dedicated author, is in itself a statement on mummy studies and how they should be carried out for the benefit of all.' Annals of Human Biology

Review of the hardback: 'This work, a veritable tour de force of mummy studies, will establish itself as the classic volume on mummies. The work is, therefore, essential reading for palaeopathologists, osteologists, archaeologists and mummy specialists worldwide.' Journal of Biosocial Sciences

Review of the hardback: '… a timely addition to the literature, providing a basic text for training programmes in this field and also a research reference source. … the range and depth of the author's scholarship and firsthand contributions to mummy science ensure that this thought-provoking book, with its wealth of facts, research citations and suggestions for future developments, will remain a classic in this field.' Rosalie David, University of Manchester

The fact that bodies decay after death has concerned humans throughout the ages. Many cultures have attempted to arrest this decay, so that bodies are preserved (or mummified) in a state as near to life as possible, but spontaneously mummified bodies are also found. Mummies are being studied increasingly to answer questions about the health, social standing and beliefs of the population from whence they came, and the lessons that they have for modern populations. Originally published in 2003, this authoritative reference work explores why people mummify bodies and the mechanisms by which they are preserved, details study methods and surveys the myriad examples that can be found worldwide, evaluates the use and abuse of mummified bodies throughout the ages, and how mummified remains can be conserved for the future. Lavishly illustrated, The Scientific Study of Mummies will be of value to all those interested in paleopathology, archaeology and anthropology.

Mummies are the preserved remains of human or animal bodies. They may be preserved naturally or through human intervention, and their careful study can give us important insights into the past. This important 2003 reference work shows how mummification happens, explores mummies worldwide, and gives guidance into their research.

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