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kaillem's review against another edition
5.0
Heather Pringle writes quite well and covers a variety of mummies in this book--not just Egyptian mummies, which seems to be what most mummy books are about. I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to get a broad sense of a lot of different mummy types. If you want to get into some intense detail, though, you probably need to jump into the academic literature.
simlish's review against another edition
4.0
The Mummy Congress is as much a history of our obsession with mummies as a history of mummies themselves. It discusses various cultural types of mummification, as well as natural mummification, and cultural trends around mummies. It also gives brief bios on some preeminent mummy researchers.
It's really interesting, it's really well written and very readable - once I got started, I read the bulk of it over two days - and my only complaint is that there weren't pictures. When you tell me about how beautiful these mummies are, I want to see them! But I was reading on Overdrive, so it wasn't hard to have a search up.
It's very much an introductory text, and doesn't get super in depth on any particular area/culture, but I don't know a ton about mummies so as a casual, non-academic reader, it worked very well for me. I found the section on Andean mummies particularly interesting.
It's really interesting, it's really well written and very readable - once I got started, I read the bulk of it over two days - and my only complaint is that there weren't pictures. When you tell me about how beautiful these mummies are, I want to see them! But I was reading on Overdrive, so it wasn't hard to have a search up.
It's very much an introductory text, and doesn't get super in depth on any particular area/culture, but I don't know a ton about mummies so as a casual, non-academic reader, it worked very well for me. I found the section on Andean mummies particularly interesting.
kiramke's review against another edition
3.0
Breezy and full of interesting explorations. Warrants further reading on several topics (esp DNA related) due to publication date. Not really about the Mummy Congress except as a jumping-off point, but it was entertaining if I read the info and skipped the chapterly sum-ups.
librariann's review against another edition
4.0
Carrie gave this to me for Christmas and it is AWESOME.
teaisfortravel's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting, but I would love to read a book on the same topic with more of a decolonizing lens. This was definitely focused on the (often white and male) researchers who study mummies. Many perspectives were missing from the book.
crowyhead's review against another edition
4.0
After Heather Pringle attended the Mummy Congress, an academic convention for the archaeologists and others who specialize in the study of mummified humans, she was so fascinated that she sought out experts in the field to help satisfy her curiosity about mummies. Along the way, she also reflects on why we are so fascinated by mummies, and what that fascination has historically meant for the treatment of mummified humans. This is a really interesting book, since it reveals the scope of mummy research -- mummies aren't just in Egypt, they have been found all over the globe. Sometimes I was frustrated because I really wanted to spend more time on the individual cases, but since it's sort of an overview of the field it's not possible to cover everything there is to know about the various archaeological sites. I recommend this if you have an interest in archaeology and share my fascination with eerily well-preserved human remains.
sticksnstout's review against another edition
4.0
Really fascinating book. I've always thought of mummies as the linen-wrapped folks from Egypt. They're really any person that is preserved by human means or by natural means.
She details where mummies have been found, how they were preserved and their culture. She also describes the researchers who study mummies and what studies are done.
Very cool book.
She details where mummies have been found, how they were preserved and their culture. She also describes the researchers who study mummies and what studies are done.
Very cool book.
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