Anthropologist to talk mummies in ROM video chat
Keku, a 2,700-year-old mummy from ancient Egypt. Anthropologist Andrew Wade will talk about mummification practices on a Google Hangout Jan. 15, hosted by the Royal Ontario Museum.
McMaster anthropologist and mummy expert Andrew Wade will take part in a live Google Hangout chat Jan. 15.
Hosted by the Royal Ontario Museum, the chat will also feature ROM Egyptologist Gayle Gibson and the University of Western Ontario’s Andrew Nelson.
The three will talk about ancient Egypt’s mummies as well as Wade and Nelson’s work on mummification techniques.
With the help of CT scans, x-rays and MRIs, Wade and Nelson have gotten a clearer picture of just how ancient Egyptians mummified their dead.
Their results contradict many commonly held beliefs about mummies, and help to explain aspects of ancient Egyptian life.
“We get a lot out of studying mummies,” said Wade. “They teach us about one of the earliest, most complex civilizations, which laid the groundwork for the modern Western world.”
The Hangout is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Jan. 15, on the ROM’s Google+ page. Questions can be tweeted @ROMToronto or @ROMAncient with #AskROM.
