Perceptions of Ancient Egypt Through History, Acquisition, Use, Display, Imagery, and Science of Mummies
Open Access
- Author:
- Shamory, Anna
- Area of Honors:
- Archaeological Science
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Claire M Milner, Thesis Supervisor
Douglas Warren Bird, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Ancient Egypt
Egypt
mummies
mummy
mummification
classics
Mediterranean
museums
ancient history
archaeology
anthropology
ancient mummies
ancient Egyptian mummies - Abstract:
- To the general public, ancient Egypt is the land of pharaohs, pyramids, and most importantly – mummies. In ancient times, mummies were created for a religious purpose. The ancient Egyptians believed that their bodies needed to be preserved after physical death, so they could continue into the afterlife. In the centuries after ancient Egypt fell to Roman control, knowledge about ancient Egyptian religion, language, and culture dwindled. When Egypt and its mummies were rediscovered during the Middle Ages, Europeans had little understanding of this ancient culture beyond Classical and Biblical sources. Their lack of understanding led to the use of mummies for purposes beyond their original religious context. After Champollion deciphered hieroglyphics in the 19th century, the world slowly began to learn about Egypt through ancient Egyptian writings in tombs, monuments, and artifacts. Fascination with mummies has led them to be one of the main sources through which people conceptualize ancient Egypt. Through popular media, the public has come to have certain inferences about ancient Egypt that differ from their original meaning in Pharaonic times. Children often think mummies are evil, reanimated corpses that have come back to curse us, and adults often assume ancient Egypt was just a culture centered around mummies and death. Museums play a role in either confirming or counteracting common stereotypes about mummies and ancient Egypt. Outside of display, the science of mummies can allow us to learn about health, disease, and culture of ancient Egyptian society, through various technologies and analyses. This thesis purposes to explore what role mummies played in how ancient Egypt and mummification have been understood in the past, and are perceived today through acquisition, use, museums, popular imagery, and modern scientific analyses.