Unwrapping a mummy : the life, death and embalming of Horemkenesi / John H. Taylor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Taylor, John H., 1958-

Series:

Egyptian bookshelf

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mummies--Egypt.

Mummies.

Egypt.

Egypt--Civilization--To 332 B.C.

Civilization.

Horemkenesi.

Physical Description:

111 pages, 4 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First University of Texas Press edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, 1996.

Summary:

Horemkenesi was an Egyptian priest and official who lived at Thebes in the eleventh century BC. The unwrapping and scientific examination of his mummified body (the last such investigation to have been carried out in Britain) provided a rare opportunity to study the remains of a known historical figure using the most sophisticated technology and methods of analysis. By combining the results of this study with information from inscriptions on Horemkenesi's coffin and rock-graffiti recording his work in the cemeteries of Thebes it is possible to build up a fascinating picture of the life, death and mummification of an ancient Egyptian. The first part of this book considers Horemkenesi's life and work against the backdrop of Upper Egypt in the troubled times of the early Twenty-First Dynasty. The second part concentrates on the unwrapping of the mummy: its careful planning, how the delicate operation was carried out, and what discoveries were made. What did Horemkenesi look like? How old was he at death? What was the state of his health? Why did the embalmers not remove his brain and why were his internal organs missing? These and other questions are answered in this stimulating book.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 107-108) and index.

ISBN:

0292781415

OCLC:

34134824