 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
The following are books on the subject of mummies. Since there are a multitude of books on this subject, we will miss some. We also try to to highlight the books that are well-reviewed and highly recommended. We will continue to search and update our database to help you on your journey for information.
You can either buy the books through Amazon, as we have provided the link, or just write down their name and find them at your local bookstore or used bookstore.
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
The Mummy in Fact, Fiction
and Film
By Susan Cowie and Tom Johnson
In 1922, when Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, much of what was then known about mummies came from the writing of Greek historian Herodotus and from the paintings on the walls of Egyptian tombs. Even before 1922, the mummy had been the subject of fiction, with such writers as Bram Stoker and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tackling the subject, and early films dating back to 1901. In this work, the authors present the religious, social and scientific aspects of mummies as well as an in-depth discussion of facts about them (largely Egyptian, but including other kinds of mummies). Then, how mummies are portrayed in fiction and in the movies is discussed. Stories and films in which the mummy is a focal character are listed. Amazon.com
The Mummy's Curse: Mummymania in the English-Speaking World By Jasmine Day
The riddle of the
"curse of the pharaohs" is finally solved via a radical anthropological
treatment of the legend as a cultural concept rather than a physical
phenomenon. The most penetrating study of the curse ever conducted shows
that its structure and meaning changed over time, as public attitudes
toward archaeology and the Middle East were transformed by events such
as the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. Victorian women writers likened
unwrapping to rape, but to exploit the growing popularity of Egyptology,
Hollywood turned mummies from victims into monsters, destroying the
curse's power to challenge abuses of human remains. So mummies came to
symbolize everything wrong and rotten: pollution, age, death, difference
and defiance of authority, becoming imaginary friends or cautionary
examples for children.
Encyclopedia of Mummies
Brier pulls together a wide variety of facts and descriptions that provide cultural and popular perspectives about preserved human and animal life along with the scientific information. The alphabetical entries contain a definition, an explanation of how the entry fits into a historical context, and photographs for certain selected subjects.
Accidental cases of
mummification are included such as the Iceman found in the European Alps
in 1991. Frozen mammoths of Siberia, as well as the preserved monkeys,
ibises, and ducks found in the Valley of the Kings are also covered. The
black-and-white photographs provide details and clearly depict the state
of preservations of the various mummies, or provide visually interesting
items, such as political cartoons featuring mummies. An extensive
bibliography subdivides the sources into topics as diverse as "The
Mummification Process" and "Comic Books." The easy-to-use index is
extensively cross-referenced. Fascinating and informative reading.
Mummies, Bones & Body Parts
By Charlotte Wilcox
Suitable for Grade 5-9, due to explicit pictures, may be best for older readership. This carefully researched, compassionate photo-essay addresses the discovery of human remains and the efforts made by scientists to date, identify, and discover their places in history. From desiccated mummies staring with empty eyes into eternity to dry bones and isolated body parts, forensic scientists, physical anthropologists, and paleontologists strain to decipher ancient messages whispering through time. Wilcox discusses the discoveries of a variety of remains (mostly ancient), the methods of their preservation, and the scientific techniques used in investigating them. The complementary photos, mostly in color, have a high "ick!" factor that may disturb some readers. The gruesome quality of the subject will superficially attract aficionados of horror films and novels, but those with deeper interest will focus on the scientific inquiry that is the basis of the book. Amazon.com
Mummy in Ancient Egypt:
Equipping the Dead for Eternity
By Salima Ikram anmd Aidan Dodson
Ikram, an Egyptologist, and Dodson, an archaeologist specializing in Egyptian funerary practices and aspects of dynastic history, combine to produce a comprehensive account of how Egyptian mummies were made, wrapped, adorned and sheltered for an afterlife. Their story covers 33 dynasties and a span of some 3,000 years, beginning about 3050 B.C. The 485 illustrations show tombs, mummies, the mummifiers' methods of embalming and many funerary accessories. "Everything," the authors say, "depended on the Egyptian belief in eternal life, and the need to provide for it." The account also traces the study of mummies from the often clumsy procedures of the 19th century to the x-rays, CT scans, endoscopy, scanning electron microscopy and DNA-testing techniques available today. Amazon.com
The Discovery of the Tomb
of Tutankhamen By Howard Carter
Written by the
archeologist who discovered Tut's
tomb, this
book captures the painstaking, step-by-step process of excavation, and
the wonders of the treasure-filled inner chamber. 106 on-the-spot
photographs depict the phases of the discovery and the scrupulous
cataloging of the treasures.
Amazon.com
The Complete Tutankhamun:
The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure
By Nicholas Reeves
As the owner and occupant of the most spectacular tomb to be excavated under modern archaeological conditions, Tutankhamun is synonymous with the mystery and wealth of ancient Egypt. In this comprehensive study, Tut's life and background, the architecture of the tomb, and the artifacts discovered in situ are examined in some detail. Archaeology books tend to be either pretty or important, but Reeves has produced a beautiful book with significant new information. The extent, wealth, and quality of the illustrations alone make it an important and attractive book. The text synthesizes the most current findings in the field. If your library can afford only one book on Tut, this one is it. - Mary Morgan Smith Amazon.com
The Bog People: Iron-Age
Man Preserved
By P.V. Glob
One spring morning
two men cutting peat in a Danish bog uncovered a well-preserved body of
a man with a noose around his neck. Thinking they had stumbled upon a
murder victim, they reported their discovery to the police, who were
baffled until they consulted the famous archaeologist P.V. Glob. Glob
identified the body as that of a two-thousand-year-old man, ritually
murdered and thrown in the bog as a sacrifice to the goddess of
fertility.
*More books on bog mummies in kids picks!!
Divine Creatures: Animal
Mummies in Ancient Egypt
By Salima Ikram
The invention of mummification enabled the ancient Egyptians to preserve the bodies, not only of humans but also of animals, so that they could live forever. Mummified animals are of four different types: food offerings, pets, sacred animals, and votive offerings. For the first time, a series of studies on the different types of animal mummies, the methods of mummification, and the animal cemeteries located at sites throughout Egypt are drawn together in a definitive volume on ancient Egyptian animal mummies. Studies of these animals provide information not only about the fauna of the country, and indirectly, its climate, but also about animal domestication, veterinary practices, human nutrition, mummification technology, and the religious practices of the ancient Egyptians. Amazon.com
Beloved Beasts: Animal
Mummies from Ancient Egypt
By Salima Ikram
The Animal Mummy Room in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo throws an interesting light on the role of animals in ancient Egyptian, both as sacred totems of religious cults and as beloved household pets. This catalog of the animal mummies in the Museum - from cats, dogs, and horses to baboons, crocodiles, and gazelles - is fully illustrated with color photographs and x-rays, and each mummy is described in detail. Amazon.com
The Ice Maiden: Inca
Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes
By Johan Reinhard
Although much of Incan society remains a mystery, we know a lot more now than we did a couple of decades ago - thanks, in large part, to the discoveries of Reinhard, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, high-altitude archaeologist, and expert on the Inca. In 1995, near the top of a Peruvian volcanic mountain, he and his longtime climbing partner discovered the Ice Maiden, the frozen, mummified remains of a female human-sacrifice victim. Presuming that many of his readers will not be well versed in the technical aspects of his story, he approaches his tale as a memoir rather than a scientific treatise. The book is as much about Reinhard himself and the way the Ice Maiden changed his life as it is about the historical and scientific repercussions of her discovery. Expect interest not only from archaeologists but also from armchair explorers and popular-science fans. - David Pitt Amazon.com
The Mummy Unwrapped: Scenes Left on Universal's Cutting
Room Floor
By Thomas M. Feramisco
The mummy came to life in the 1940s out of Universal Pictures’ need to produce quick turnaround, low budget "B" movies. Universal produced The Mummy’s Hand, The Mummy’s Tomb, The Mummy’s Ghost, and The Mummy’s Curse (originally The Mummy’s Return) and thus created a popular franchise that is still supported today by a following of loyal fans. (Universal was prompted to produce a remake of its Mummy films in 1999.) This book is devoted entirely to Universal’s Mummy movies of the 1940s. It reveals lost action and dialogue by analyzing scenes that were edited out days before The Mummy’s Hand was released to theaters, treats readers to other dialogue that was filmed and then cut down to almost nothing before being included in the films, and compares and contrasts the original story of The Mummy’s Return to the final shooting script of what was later renamed The Mummy’s Curse. Each of the films has its own chapter, and chapters are also devoted to the actors who played the heroes, heroines, high priests, victims, and mummies in the films, and to the filmmakers who brought the mummies to life. Amazon.com
Kid Picks
Though written and compiled for "children", the following are suitable for adults as well. They can help "dummy" down a more serious subject.
Non-fiction:
You Wouldn't Want to Be an
Egyptian Mummy!
Though written for youngsters, it's both informative and entertaining for adults as well. At first glance, these profusely illustrated books appear to be a lighthearted approach to some grim chapters in the history of the world. Chapter titles are often blithe and the cartoon art depicts the gory and abominable treatment of one group of people by another. But closer examination of the texts and pictures reveals informative books, packed full of the facts students often seek.
It covers the process of embalming and mummification along with the symbolic features of an Egyptian burial. Discoveries of tombs and modern beliefs about mummies are also included. Grade 4-6 — Elizabeth Stumpf Amazon.com
Mouldy Mummies
By Mary Dobson
Using scratch-and-sniff patches to supplement cartoon illustrations, Dobson bravely uncovers some of the more horrific stenches of Egypt's past. Intrepid readers get whiffs of a mouldy mummy, a pharaoh's stinky feet, and a dung pile, along with some supposed relief provided by frankincense and rose petals (though all the smells kind of blend into one big stink). There are also tidbits of information about Egyptian cosmetics (their kohl-painted eyes helped dull the bright sun in much the same way as the dark smudges under football players' eyes), Egyptian waste disposal systems, and mummy lore (in the Middle Ages, ground up mummy was a medicine). This title doesn't provide factual material for research papers, but the special effects are a great draw for reluctant readers, and serve as an olfactory enhancement of a study unit on ancient Egypt. Grade 3-6 Amazon.com
The Curse of the Pharoahs :
My Adventures with Mummies
By Zahi Hawass
Some children will already be familiar with the work of this Egyptian archaeologist from TV documentaries about his excavations along the Nile. Hawass is passionate about this work and effectively relates his enthusiasm for it in this first-person account that has the same immediacy as the televised specials. The history of the mummy's curse becomes the frame of his narrative, but the author is at his best when describing his excavations, their inherent dangers (ancient germs, crumbling rock, snakes), and the excitement of discovery.
After providing readers with some history of the many myths and legends surrounding the "curse," which he attributes to novelists and "silly" Hollywood movies, he adds a few of his own stories and experiences with the "magic" of the tombs. The full-color photos are superb; they include clear close-up shots of mummies, statues, artifacts, sites, and a number of the scientist at work. Grade 4-8 — Daryl Grabarek Amazon.com
Tut's Mummy: Lost...And
Found (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)
By Mark Dubowski
Donnelly gives simple details about how King Tutankhamen was buried and the ancient Egyptians beliefs about death. The story then skips ahead to the 1800s, when Howard Carter's frustrating five-year search for Egyptian treasure finally resulted in his discovery of the young pharoah's tomb. Although there's little new information here, these true tales of mummies and ancient treasure in an easy-reader format should prove popular. Ventura and Ceserani's In Search of Tutankhamum (Silver Burdett, 1985) provides a more detailed account of Carter's struggles, and its illustrations are superior to the standard textbook drawings found here. But its nice to see photos of the Egyptian finds included in this book, which will help readers share the excitement that Carter must have felt when his dream of finding an ancient tomb finally came true. Grade K-3 - Cathryn A. Camper Amazon.com
Don't Know Much About Mummies
By Kenneth C. Davis
What did a well-dressed mummy wear? Did mummy makers ever make mistakes? These questions and many others are answered in this book by New York Times best-selling author Kenneth C. Davis as he unwraps the fascinating history of mummies from around the world. Are mummies just dead bodies wrapped up in cloth and found in Egypt? No way! Mummies can be dried out, frozen, wrapped up, hollowed out, or even chopped apart and then sewn back together! And mummies have been found in many places on earth. Many ancient cultures believed that preserving a dead body would help the body's owner in the afterlife. Some civilizations, like that of the ancient Egyptians, buried their mummies along with jewelry, board games, and even pets! Kenneth C. Davis's trademark question-and-answer format, complete with riddles, fun facts, and comic illustrations, is the perfect way to explore the fascinating history of mummies. Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
Ice Mummy
(Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)
By Mark Dubowski and Cathy East Dubowski
In 1991, two tourists
hiking in the Alps saw something very odd sticking out of the snow. At
first it looked like a doll's head. But it wasn't. It was a man, frozen
in the ice for 5,000 years.
Outside and Inside Mummies
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 Awards By Sandra Markle
Another title from Markle's long-running Outside and Inside series, this bright photo-essay accents the inside of mummies. Exciting new technology has made it possible to tell how ancient people lived and died. Vivid photographs, sometimes eye-popping in their clarity (CT images), sometimes gross (mummified intestines and intestinal worms), combine with a highly readable text to answer questions about particular bodies and humanity in general. There's a bit of an organizational problem. Dividing the book into chapters would have helped, as the text moves through various diagnostic techniques and different mummies, some from Egypt, others - naturally preserved. One of the most interesting sections concerns the discoveries that can be made from examining DNA. Back matter includes a glossary and a project - make your own mummy. Grade 4-6 Amazon.com
Mummies Made in Egypt
By Aliki
Aliki describes and illustrates the techniques and the reasons for the use of mummification in ancient Egypt. Also, a fine source describing Egyptian gods and goddesses of the dead; explains the symbols and foundation of the belief in the afterlife; and presents the elaborate rituals and methods of mummification . The art is beautiful, the text uncompromisingly informative and clear. Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
Mummy (DK/Google E.guides)
From Howard Carter's discovery of
Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, to the Ice Man high in the Alps,
woolly mammoths in Siberia, warhorses in China, and sacrificial victims
in Peru, mummies worldwide continue to hold us in their spell.
e.guides Mummy peels back the layers to see inside mummies of
all kinds, to understand how they were prepared, and to piece together
the evidence about their cultures' beliefs in an afterlife.
Bodies from the Bog
(Paperback)
By James M. Deem
For budding archaeologists, or any child interested in exploring scientific mysteries, James Deem's straightforward text and superior choice of photographs (many of them taken at the sites where naturally mummified bog bodies have been found) unfold a compelling story of Iron Age Man. The few hundred bodies discovered since the 1600s are, for the most part, remarkably well-preserved. The damp, cool soil of ancient peat bogs kept the bodies intact for 2500-3000 years, so much so that scientists have been able to discover what these ancestors ate and, in many cases, how they died. Because many bog bodies appear to have died by violence, scientists suspect they were victims of human sacrifice. One close-up, of a body named "the Tollund man" (after the bog where it was found), reveals a peaceful face that looks to be serenely sleeping. This, and other photographs will not soon be forgotten. Due to the high "ick factor," not for everyone. Could scare some children! Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
Cat Mummies
By Kelly Trumble
Trumble explains and elaborates on a fact that most children's books just make mention of: Egyptians worshipped cats and mummified them using the same techniques they used to preserve their pharaohs. Extensive research is evident in the many original sources quoted and the lengthy bibliography. What emerges from this volume is a fascinating legend of how the Egyptians' devotion to the sacred animals became fanatical? People would rescue their felines from burning buildings and let their belongings go up in smoke? And eventually led to their downfall. In 525 B.C., the Persians shrewdly released cats onto the battlefield; the Egyptians were so confused by trying to avoid killing the whiskered deities that they lost the war. Kubinyi's soft-focus watercolors work well to explain and break up the text. Footnotes, a chronology, a glossary, and a list of museums with cat mummies all reiterate the author's thoroughness in researching her topic. Grade 4-6 Amazon.com
Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii
By James M. Deem
On August 24, 79 C.E., the long-silent Mt. Vesuvius erupted, and volcanic ash rained down on the 20,000 residents of Pompeii. This photo-essay explains what happened when the volcano exploded - and how the results of this disaster were discovered hundreds of years later. A tragedy this dramatic demands an affecting text, but this one begins rather ploddingly with the events of August 24 and 25, and moves through the rediscovery of the city and the surrounding areas, with progressively more being learned. What the text lacks in excitement is made up for by the enormous amount of information Deem offers, some of which was acquired in on-site research. The excavations and body preservation techniques are explained in detail; everyday life in the city and the later tourist activity centered in Pompeii are also highlighted. But the jewels here are the numerous black-and-white (and some color) photographs, especially those featuring the plaster casts and skeletons of people in their death throes. The horizontal format, with pages looking as though they were partially bordered in marble, makes an attractive setting for the art. Excellent for browsers as well as researchers. Grade 5-8 Amazon.com
Mummies: The Newest, Coolest, and Creepiest from Around
the World
By Shelley Tanaka
Shriveled, startlingly intact, full-color mummy faces fill the pages of this compendium of mummies around the world. Organized by region (pictured in small inset maps), the short chapters introduce great discoveries - from Tut to the 5,000-year-old body of a child found in Chile and the mummies of modern-day Buddhist monks on display in Thailand, sunglasses placed over eye sockets. Throughout, the author reinforces the scientific importance of mummy finds, discussing what the bodies reveal about the health, diet, cultural habits, and migration of ancient societies. Not for the squeamish, the descriptions are graphic, and, like the riveting photos, they will draw kids right into the science: "The brain tissue poured out pink, with a little blood, like a strawberry milkshake." Chapters on how mummies are made and preserved, as well as examples of modern mummies (Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong) close this fascinating title, which also includes a time line and bibliography. Grade 4-7 Amazon.com
fiction:
Garfield and the Mysterious
Mummy
By Jim Kraft, Jim Davis & Mike Fentz
When Garfield and Odie accidentally get locked in the museum one night, strange things start happening. Is that really a mummy chasing them -- or a thief trying to steal a priceless artifact? Find out what happens when the dynamic duo come face-to-face with the mysterious mummy! Ages 4-8 Amazon.com
Skippyjon Jones in Mummy
Trouble
By Judy Schachner
El Skippito is back! Avoiding a lecture from Mama Junebug, the kitty boy slips into his closet . . . and finds himself in ancient Egypt. His doggy pals, Los Chimichangos, want to visit the Under Mundo—the underworld— where mummitos rest in peas. But they need El Skippito’s brains and courage to answer the riddle of theFinx and enter the mummy’s tomb. Our hero is up to the task, and he’s in for another grand and whirlwind adventure. Grade K-3 Amazon.com
Screaming Mummies of the
Pharaoh's Tomb II (Tales From the House of Bunnicula)
By James Howe
Dear possible reader of this book, I wasn't sure I'd be able to write a book ever again after Canine Quarterly reviewed my series, Tales from the House of Bunnicula. They said I would never win the Newbony Award. Was I depressed! And I didn't even know what a Newbony was! Luckily Delilah's read a lot of Newbony books, so she helped me write this one. It's about a poor (but very cute) orphan dachshund puppy named Howie Monroe, who lives on the prairie and yearns for a chicken bone. (I know. Trust me.) Things really get exciting when Howie and his best friend, the smart and well-read Delilah, find a time machine and travel back to ancient Egypt where they uncover...the mystery of the Pharaoh's tomb!!! Your friend, Howie (THE DOG)
*We couldn't resist including a book from the Bunnicula series. They are just wonderful and hilarious!!! Then add an Egyptian mummy with the Bunnicula gang, and what more could you ask for? Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
Geronimo Stilton The Mummy
With No Name
By Geronimo Stilton
Halloween and Egypt and mummies . . . oh, my! I admit it, I am a 'fraidy mouse. Halloween scares me out of my fur! But this Halloween, I was heading off on an adventure in one of my very favorite places: Egypt. I couldn't wait to see the sights and soak up some sun far away from New Mouse City. What I didn't realize was that Halloween is popular in Egypt, too -- with the mummies, that is! Oh, what's a 'fraidy mouse to do? Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert
By Eve Bunting
In this quiet, evocative voyage through time, an Egyptian mummy looks back on her life. In her own time, Heb-Nefert was the wife of the pharaoh's brother, with servants who dressed her and a loving husband with whom she explored the royal gardens and hunted birds on the Nile. She recalls visiting her humble childhood home where women baked bread outdoors and a snake was coiled in a basket to catch rats and mice. When she died, her body was anointed with oils and spices, and bandaged to begin the process of mummification. Her loyal cat was mummified, too, so it could follow her into the afterlife. Finally, she looks down on her shriveled body where it lies in a museum and observes the daily stream of visitors that pass by, rarely thinking that a similar fate awaits them. Bunting uses a poetic, lyrical voice to transport readers beyond the withered mummified remains they see and into Heb-Nefert's ancient world. The atmospheric watercolors pick up both the sunlight on Egyptian sands and the dark shadows of sealed tombs. Realistic Fiction Grade 4-6 Amazon.com
Scooby-Doo and the Mummy's Curse
By Jesse Leon McCann
Scooby and the gang head to Egypt in this tie-in to the newest Scooby DTV movie. While working for an archaeologist Velma uncovers the Curse of Cleopatra that can turn people to stone, dry up rivers, and raise an army of the undead. Mystery Inc. race the tomb raiders to Cleopatra's amazing treasure! Ages 4-8 Amazon.com
The Mummy's Gold (Eek! Stories to Make You Shriek)
By Kate McMullan
Jake thinks that the mummy he meets at a movie theater is part of one of his brother's tricks, but he is wrong. Ages 4-8 Amazon.com
The Missing Mummy
By Ron Roy
M is for Mummy. . . . It's Mummy Monday at the museum, and Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are excited about the new Egyptian exhibit. It features a child mummy in an actual tomb! But then the mummy is stolen and the tomb robbed of its treasure. Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose unravel the mystery and return the mummy to its rightful resting place? Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
The Mummy Walks -
Goosebumps Series 2000
By R.L. Stine
Classic R.L. Stine adventure, this time a story revolving around a mummy. Well-received. Ages 9-12 Amazon.com
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
