Earthly Remains: The History and Science of Preserved Human Bodies

by Michael Parker Pearson, Andrew T. Chamberlain, Mike Parker Pearson, et al.

Book Overview

The preserved remains of other human beings hold a special fascination for the living. Earthly Remains explores the history and science behind such phenomena and examine cases ranging from ancient Egyptian mummies to twentieth-century politicians, from Iron Age bog bodies to cryonics and modern preservation techniques. After explaining the scientific processes of decay, the authors move on to discuss the bog bodies of northern Europe, including the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195218523
• ISBN13: 9780195218527
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.7" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

....and to dust thou shalt return.

An excellent account of what mankind, through its long history, has done with the remains of its deceased. Through what has been found, over the years,we have tried to piece together the cultures,religions,eating habits,diseases and every aspect of life by the peoples who have preceeded us.The little that we know has,to a large degree, been determined from clues presented when remains have been found.For such a relatively short book,of only 206 pages, including many excellent photographs,the authors have done an amazingly good job in describing what was done with the bodies,both intentionally and unintentionally,that have resulted in some remains being intact for ,not only hundreds ,but thousands of years. Is it the fear of death,the fear of the unknown,the desire to honor and remember;or some underlying desire for everlasting perpetuity;that has challenged mankind and cultures to find a way for remains to be everlasting? That remains an unanswered question that has been with all civilizations and cultures;and as so well shown in this book;will likely remain,well into the future.One can only imagine how cluttered the world would get if a simple method of preserving a body forever,were ever found.

Understanding the past through the dead

If you are interested in anthropology, archaeology, mummy studies, or pre technology man, this is a good book. The detailed descriptions of the remains, good pictures, and summaries of the scientific studies is very informative. This book is hard to get. I bought the last available copy in the US when I bought it for my Mummies of the World class. I highly recommend if you want to learn more about the remains of our ancestors and what the bodies can tell us, this is one of the best books for the job.