There can be little doubt that when the body of pharaoh Ramses II was prepared for burial, Egyptian embalmers applied state-of-the-art methods to it. But what were those methods and how did they compare to the treatments lavished on other mummies of the time? While intact mummies of the Nineteenth Dynasty are relatively rare, it is possible, nevertheless, to reconstruct the principles recognized by professional embalmers of the period through reference to the writings of Ramesside times and by examining data acquired in historical unwrappings and in modern CT studies. This presentation will take a fresh look at how mummification developed for elite and common people alike during the New Kingdom.

This program is supported by Elizabeth Moyer, PhD, and Michael Powanda, PhD; Bernard and Jane von Bothmer, in honor of the late Bernard V. Bothmer; and Sheila Wishek.