Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the basic mechanisms of mummification and methodological trends. It examines several case studies where research has focused on reconstructing the environmental and anthropogenic factors and processes impacting soft tissue preservation. The book focuses on the history of mummy studies, the closely allied field of paleopathology, and key figures in the development of these fields. It considers the degree to which mummy studies have engaged with social theory. The integration of social theory is one area in which mummy studies and skeletal bioarchaeology are most distinct. The book explores three methodological advances that have stimulated research: biogeochemistry, paleoimaging, and paleogenetics. It highlights areas where mummy research has more explicitly integrated theory as well as areas where the incorporation of theory can provide significant new avenues of investigation.