Mummies are time travelers—tangible ghosts. In this informative, rich, and readable A-to-Z compendium, world-renowned Egyptologist and mummy expert Bob Brier broadens our understanding of what mummies are, who they were, and how they came to be mummies. A timely book about a rapidly expanding area of study. It includes descriptions of: *mummies of the famous, such as Napoleon, Lenin, and Eva Peron, and famous mummies such as Tutankhamen, The Ice Man of the Alps, Tollund Man, and Lindow Woman *obscure and remarkable mummies, such as Elmer J. McCurdy and The Soap Lady of Philadelphia *Egyptian, Chinese, Italian, Peruvian, and Native American mummies, among others *mummification methods, from those of the ancient Egyptians to present-day cryonic techniques *scientists, explorers, fanatics, and eccentrics who have contributed to our knowledge of mummies *the range of sciences—paleopathology, archaeology, physiology, forensic science, radiology, chemistry—that play a role in solving the riddle that every mummy contains *and much more From Pulitzer Prize winner Seamus Heaney's poems to Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, The Encyclopedia of Mummies documents the influence of mummies on literature, film, the visual arts, and popular culture. Thoughtful appendices, a lengthy bibliography, and an index assist readers in following their curiosity to the fullest.
Author
Robert Brier (born December 13, 1943), also known as Mr. Mummy, is an American Egyptologist specializing in paleopathology. A Senior Research Fellow at Long Island University/LIU Post, he has researched and published on mummies and the mummification process and has appeared in many Discovery Civilization documentaries, primarily on ancient Egypt. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Brier earned his bachelor's degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York. From 1966 to 1970, he was on the research staff of the Institute of Parapsychology (formerly the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man) in Durham, North Carolina, where he worked on such books as Parapsychology Today and Test Your ESP. He earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 and began teaching at Long Island University in 1972. He served as chairman of the philosophy department from 1981 to 1996 and has also served as the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities' "Egyptology Today" program. He was appointed Senior Research Fellow at LIU Post in 2004. In addition to his career at Long Island University, Brier has taught ancient Egyptian at The New School and Egyptology at Webb Institute for many years. Brier has conducted research in mummification practices worldwide. He has investigated well-known mummies such as Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Vladimir Lenin, Eva Perón (more commonly known as Evita), and the Medici family. In 1994, Brier and a colleague, Ronald Wade, director of the State Anatomy Board of Maryland, claimed to be the first people in 2,000 years to mummify a human cadaver using ancient Egyptian techniques. This research earned Brier the affectionate nickname "Mr. Mummy" and was also the subject of the National Geographic television special of the same name, which made him a household name. He is also the host of several television programmes for the TLC Network including The Great Egyptians, Pyramids, Mummies and Tombs, and Mummy Detective. His research has been featured in Archaeology Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, 60 Minutes and 20/20. In 1999, Brier gave a series of 48 specially-prepared lectures entitled "The History of Ancient Egypt" for The Teaching Company. He later did another series of 12 lectures for them, focusing on "Great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt". Brier is a recipient of Long Island University's David Newton award for Teaching Excellence. He leads tours to Egypt for Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips.
