The man’s body was carried through dusty streets to a tent where it was laid face up on table. The brain was drawn out through the nostril. An incision was made in the left side, and the stomach, liver, kidneys, lungs and intestines were removed and placed in four jars. The heart was left in place; the body cavity cleansed in white wine. Then the body was dried out. For days it lay covered with natron powder under the hot sun. Finally, the leathery, light remains were wrapped in 150 yards of cloth, placed in a coffin, and buried. Who was this man? One day, by chance, the body was discovered. So, too, were the wicked deeds of tomb robbers, political intrigue and corruption, and the magnificent collection of household items that had been a part of the man’s life. By means of X ray, scientists determined what the man looked like, the cause of death and they found the answers to many puzzling questions from the man’s past. All this was learned from a body that was 3,000 years old. The Egyptian civilization is full of buried secrets, none of them more fascinating and mysterious then her mummies. Here is a book of scholarship and suspense for everyone curious about Ancient Egypt and the history of her dead.
