Egyptian Mummies: People from the Past [Hardcover]

Delia Pemberton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Who were the ancient Egyptians? Why did they mummify their dead? Why did they bury people with their possessions? And why do mummies still fascinate us today?
The remains of seven mummies from the world-famous British Museum can answer these questions and many more. From Ginger, a simple prehistoric farmer, to Katebet, a wealthy woman buried with her jewelry, to Hornedjitef, a grand priest of Amun, the lives and culture of ancient Egyptians are uncovered in thrilling detail. Nearly a hundred color photographs detail what these people looked like, how they worked, the foods they ate, and why they prepared so elaborately for the afterlife--revealing that the life of ordinary Egyptians was different, and yet not so different, from our lives today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Egyptologist Delia Pemberton unravels the mystery of mummification in Egyptian Mummies: People from the Past. Focusing on seven mummies that currently reside in the British Museum, this volume provides a wealth of information about such subjects as tomb preparation, funeral equipment and 18th- and 19th-century mummy mania. Full-color photographs of tombs and period artifacts plus sidebars punctuate the text. Pemberton wraps it all up with a glossary, index and suggestions for further reading.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-Seven mummies from the British Museum are used as an organizing device to look at the historical and medical significance of mummification. The specimens are presented in chronological order, from Ginger, found preserved by simple dehydration and dated at around 3400 B.C. to a Roman schoolboy, circa A.D. 120. Following a general overview, there are discussions of grave goods, tombs, coffins and sarcophagi, medical uses of mummies (past and present), archaeology and excavation, hieroglyphics, etc. The text is brisk and readable, and is enhanced by an abundance of well-placed color photographs. The columnar type makes good use of white space; along with the appropriately placed sidebars, it gives the book an open and appealing look. This informative volume is similar in scope and quality to James Putnam's Mummy (Knopf, 1993), though it has a narrower cultural and historical focus.

Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152026002
• ISBN-13: 978-0152026004
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,723,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blast from the Past!!, October 27, 2001

By 

Saraah Campbell (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Egyptian Mummies: People from the Past (Hardcover)

This book was awesome!! Exspecially if you like Mummies. I thought this book was interesting because I was always fond of Egypt.