Are You My Mummy?
Ethics and the Dawn of Egyptology
The burial practices of Ancient Egypt have always captured the attention of curious onlookers, and for good reason. The ritualistic burial practices of the Egyptians are unlike any other in the world. As Mike Parker Pearson describes in the book, “The Archaeology of Death and Burial” mummification was a “complex cultural practice which encompassed a variety of changing attitudes to the body, death, and the cosmos.”
The method of mummification was as complex as the Egyptian’s reasoning for mummification. Pearson describes the myths behind mummification which came from Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom (2686 – 2181 BC), Coffin Texts of Middle Kingdom (204 – 1780 BC) and the Book of the Dead from the New Kingdom. These texts describe the judgment of the dead and the Egyptian afterlife, which gives rise to the reasons the Egyptians buried their dead the way they did, through mummification (Pearson 1999). The body was a way that Egyptians could “convey a representation of death and the hereafter” (Pearson 1999).
The mummification process became less and less complex as it went down the social hierarchy. These mummification processes went from “the most perfect” to the “inexpensive method” (Bleiberg 2008). Forty-four Royal Egyptian mummies survived from the New Kingdom; these bodies went through the “most perfect” mummification process, which preserved the body through dehydration and embalming (Bleiberg 2008). These bodies were so carefully preserved because the Egyptian people believed their Royalty to be gods.
Video about the Mummification Process
It is crucial for modern anthropologists to understand that the development of anthropological ethics was a gradual process, and that methods of inquiry that any modern anthropologist would be horrified by were relatively common in the formative period of the discipline. One particular example of this gradual process of refinement in professional ethics is the concept of an “unwrapping party” or “unrolling party.” These Victorian social events involved the dissection of an Egyptian mummy in front of an audience, and invitations were highly prized (Ancient Origins, 2014).
An invitation to an Unwrapping Party
While these events were intended to further scientific knowledge of the processes involved in the mummification rituals of ancient Egypt, the process was treated as a spectator sport, with shockingly little regard (by modern standards) given to the descendant people of the civilization that had created the mummies. The study of the mummies was constrained by the times, as dissection was simply the only way to get an accurate look at a mummy beneath the bandages . This is no longer the case.
A CT scan of a mummy
Using computed tomography (CT) scanning, modern researchers are able to acquire extremely detailed virtual models of mummies without any dissection involved (Bowdler, 2014). In fact, CT scanning can generate computer models without even removing any wrappings. These detailed models allow for virtual unwrapping, gaining all the insight of the old methods of the unwrapping parties without stumbling into any tricky ethical issues. Mummies can now be thoroughly examined with the utmost respect to both the original remains and the current descendant community in Egypt.
"What a piece of work is man!"
The ethics behind researching and displaying mummies are still under debate today. There are ancient mummified bodies on every continent except for Antarctica. Thus mummy ethics apply to researchers world wide. Informed consent is a ethical question among all researchers (Kaufmann, 2010). In modern medicine the use of someones body for research requires informed consent. With ancient mummies consent is not available. Thus researchers must decide if scientific gain overrides an individuals right to autonomy. Many scientists argue that the information gained by mummy research is invaluable. Research both contributes to the scientific knowledge of ancient peoples and the medical community.
Some researchers argue that through studying mummies they are protecting them. During study, researchers remove the body and grave goods from the tomb, preventing grave robbing (Balachandran 2009). Yet, many question the right to remove bodies at all. Most cultures regulate the treatment of the dead. For many the removal of a body from its final resting place is unthinkable. But, some cultures may be able to support mummy research. Ancient Egyptians considered a social remembrance after death important (Kaufmann, 2010). Thus, research allows a social renewal of their life. In most cases researchers access damage and gains on a case by case basis. But, as research becomes more sophisticated, many agree that a code for ethical mummy research must be established.
References:
Balachandran, Sanchita. "Among the Dead and Their Possessions: A Conservator's Role in the Death, Life, and Afterlife of Human Remains and Their Associated Objects." Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 48.3 (2009): 199-222. Jstore. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.
Bleiberg, Edward (2008). To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Museum. p. 50.
Bowdler, N. (2014, March 20). Egyptian priest digitally unwrapped. Retrieved March 6, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26664927
Egyptian Mummies – to unwrap or not to unwrap? (2014, May 30). Retrieved March 6, 2015, from http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-technology/egyptian-mummies-unwrap-or-not-unwrap-001703
Pearson, Michael Parker. "Reading the Body." The Archaeology of Death and Burial. College Station: Texas A & M UP, 1999. 57-59. Print
Kaufmann, I. M., and F. J. Ruhli. "Without 'informed Consent'? Ethics and Ancient Mummy Research." Journal of Medical Ethics 36.10 (2010): 608-13. Jstore. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.
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