Earthly Remains: The History and Science of Preserved Bodies Book

EARTHLY REMAINS by Andrew T. Chamberlain provides a general overview of preserved human bodies throughout time and from all over the world. Preserved bodies discussed include bog bodies (eg Lindow Man), frozen bodies (eg the Franklin Expedition), Egyptian mummies, "sandmen," and more recent preserved bodies such as Evita and Lenin. The motivations for preserving bodies as well as the ethics of displaying human remains are discussed from an academic/archaeological perspective.

The text is very readable; even if the reader is unaccustomed to combing through academic texts, there shouldn't be any trouble with this book. I certainly recommend it if you're looking for an overview of preserved human bodies/mummies.

Once again, this book is an overview. It's great for those who need to know the generalities of various types of preserved bodies. If you're already well-read on this subject, you won't learn much that's new from this book.