Monday, December 15, 2008

Unwrapping a mummy


Wouldn't it be exciting to unwrap a mummy yourself!? I would want to, just to see what one looked like and also be able to have that experience. Other people have many different reasons though. It goes all the way from searching for gold to the desire to learn mummification techniques. Many people study and unwrap mummies of paleopathology. I know what your thinking, what in the world is that? It is the study of diseases, or pathological conditions in ancient people. People who do this type of research compare their conditions with modern man. Do you think we are much different than the mummies? In some way we were and in other ways we aren't. Disease was common but not for the same reasons as us today. Bilharzia sis, or in simpler form "small worms" bore through farmer's and fisherman's feet. OUCHY! That must have hurt! Not to mention that it is also very NASTY! This disease could cause severe damage or maybe even death...dun dun dun! These worms were found in the irrigation canals and near the banks of the Nile River, where the water slows. Be careful! Just kidding! The man who discovered this disease was named Ruffer. He also was the founder of another interesting condition of the Egyptians. The mummies teeth were very worn down. This could have occured because they grinded there teeth (probably not) most likely it was because of the sand that was in their food. I'm sure glad we don't have sand in our food!

2 comments:

  1. lol yeah everything i researched said they werent exactly sure how tut died. some say he was murdered, and others say it was because of the head injury incident...but who knows? lol glad you liked it:))

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  2. haha...(about the king tut dying at age 19-thingy) yeah i kno i want to live longer than that teehee:))

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