Page 5 - SAMPLE Secrets of the Dead

Some mummies were naturally created by chance. A man we now call Ötzi died high up in the alps of northern Italy that border Austria; he was covered in ice for 5,000 years, which acted just like a freezer, preserving even the tattoos on his skin. Others were deliberately mummified to stop their bodies from decaying. The ancient Egyptians are the most famous, but other cultures prepared their dead to ensure preservation – like
the mysterious Chinchorro of South America, or the Scythians of Siberia.
The mummified dead have fascinated the living for centuries. Wealthy Victorians even held ‘unwrapping parties’, where people gathered to watch Egyptian mummies being stripped of their linen bandages. Nowadays the dead are treated with more respect, and when archaeologists examine the delicate human remains in their care, they use modern technology like X-rays and CT scans to avoid any unnecessary damage.
This book will show you the amazing discoveries researchers have made and reveal the many secrets of the dead.
7
The Archaeologist’s Handbook
Chinese gold ring (found by N. Crow)
Beauty of Xiaohe Taklamakan Desert, China
Ötzi the Ice Man Ötzal Alps, Italy
Iron-age flint arrowhead
(found by G. Wright)
CT scanner scene London, England