By:Nigel Strudwick
This attractively designed and colourfully illustrated book offers a brief overview of the history of Egyptian mummification. With clear pictures and short, informative text entries, the book describes a range of Egyptian mummies, from early people whose bodies were accidentally dried out in the desert sand, to the amazing mummies of the New Kingdom, whose every fingernail and hair has been perfectly preserved. Last of all come the mummies of Roman Egypt, with their beautiful and realistically detailed portrait masks.
The book also shows the range of coffins, masks and grave goods which were found with these mummies, and builds up a fascinating picture of mummification in ancient Egypt. Published to accompany Mummy: the inside story, a major exhibition at the British Museum which uses the latest electronic scanning techniques to uncover the secrets of a mummy called Nesperennub.