Momiology (MUMMIFICATION) Part 1 with Kara Cooney & Salima Ikram

Linen wrapping. Expensive resins. Sarcophagi. Preserving for eternity – or until someone raids their tomb. It’s a brand-new Spooktober episode with not one but two guests: Dr. Salima Ikram is a professor of Egyptology and expert on mummification of both people and animals, and is joined by veteran guest from the Egyptology episode, professor and author Dr. Kara Cooney. The two chat about mummification techniques, how food studies lead into the pyramids, controversy over the word “mummy,” whiffing the dead, socioeconomic factors in mummification, animal mummies, lingering mysteries, field work, a house mouse, and more. Next week in Part 2 we’ll dive into more ethics of collections, human sacrifice, the people who ate mummified remains, paint colors, coffin engravings and the meaning of “magic.”