ABSTRACT
Bioarchaeology developed as an interdisciplinary approach melding archaeological and skeletal data in a biocultural, population-level, problem-orientated research design. This chapter considers if mummy studies was influenced by the same paradigmatic shifts that drove the development of bioarchaeology. The modern manifestation of mummy studies was developing at the same time as bioarchaeology in both the UK and the United States. The interdisciplinary nature of mummy studies is reflected in the fact that mummy research is published in a very broad array of journals, ranging from highly specialized biomedical and natural science journals to the earth sciences and humanities. The development of different paleoimaging modalities has arguably had the biggest impact on mummy studies relative to any other technology or analytical method. As the use of paleoimaging technology becomes increasingly common in mummy research it is imperative that researchers have the ability to reliably differentiate between tissues, between tissues and material artifacts, and between different types of material artifacts.
