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Book Review of Tales Mummies Tell

Tales Mummies Tell
Tales Mummies Tell
Author: Patricia Lauber
Genre: Children's Books
Book Type: Paperback


FACT: Sand in their bread caused serious tooth problems for the ancient Egyptians, peasants and pharaohs alike.

FACT: Skull surgery was commonly performed by the Inca Indians of Peru.

FACT: A thick soup made of grain and seeds was a typical winter meal in Denmark during the Iron Age.

How can we be so sure of what ancient life was like? Largely because mummies have begun to "talk" to scientists. X-rays allow scientists to study mummies that have never been unwrapped! Scientists can examine the bones of a mummy and figure out the age at death, signs of disease, and fractures that healed. The teeth reveal information about diet and health. Sometimes a mummy offers a surprise. A mummy long thought to be the chlid of a high priestess turned out to be a baboon!