Mummies,
Disease, & Ancient Cultures by Aidan
& Eve Cockburn and Theodore Reyman
is a book
that anyone interested in world mummification should own. It was one of the
first and certainly remains one of the best books on the subject.
The second edition
is a partial revision of the 1983 edition. Only the Egyptian chapters and
the Melanesian chapter are virtually the same (though the Melanesian
chapter is now unaccompanied by photographs "in deference to the
sensibilities of the descendants"); others have been heavily revised
and much new material has been added.
Like the 1983
edition, the focus is not on photographs, though many (see below) are
included. Rather the focus is on the processes used to analyze and study
various mummies found around the world. The editors point out that
"it proved impossible to include all the new material we would have
liked." Still much new material has been included.
Notable are
expanded (or new) accounts of Guanche mummies, Japanese Buddhist mummies,
Peruvian and other South American mummies (including Jivaro shrunken
heads), Alaskan and Aleutian mummies, and Italian mummies (including
the little-known Gottarossa mummy and the Incorruptibles, among
others).
The
book ends with a new chapter on mummy research techniques (see below) by
Theodore Reyman. As a comprehensive survey of what's happening around the
world of mummies, the book is indispensible. 402 pages. Highly
recommended.
Photos include:
Egypt
(predynastic burial, 21st Dynasty mummy, Ptolemaic and Roman mummies,
Siptah's feet, Ramesses V, PUM II inside and out, ROM I inside and out, PUM III
and IV);
Americas (Chinchorro mummies, Middle Horizon and Late Horizon
mummies, Lambayecque mummy, Chachapoya mummy, Nasca mummy, copper miner mummy,
shrunken heads);
World (Borremose Man, Tollund Man, Elling Woman,
Grauballe Man, Windeby Girl, Osterby Skull, Gottarossa mummy, Uan Muhuggaig
infant, Capuchin mummy, Guanche mummy, Buddhist priest mummies, Greenland
mummies, Juanita);
Investigative techniques (William Braine from the
Franklin expedition). All photos are black-and-white. No photos are included
for any mummies discussed in North America or Australia/Melanesia.
