Across the vast sweep of history, we find many great cultures in which the bodies of the dead were preserved as a matter of course. Taking his experiences of discovering, excavating and filming mummies all over the world as his starting point, Howard Reid brings these ancient cultures to life. The author, an anthropologist and film maker, became interested in mummies when filming in the Taklamakan desert in China. He then followed a voyage of exploration into why various cultures felt it so important to preserve their dead. This takes him to Siberia, Northwest Europe, Egypt, the Canary Islands and Peru, and includes preservation by embalming, freezing, immersion in bogs, and desert conditions. The reader becomes involved with him as he tries to unravel the mysteries of diverse ancient civilizations. Chapters on Central Asia; Siberia; Northwest Europe; Egypt; Canary Islands; Chile and Peru, where the oldest mummies in the world are located. Imported from Britain.

IN SEARCH OF THE IMMORTALS: Mummies, Death and the Afterlife By Howard Reid. 307 Pages. 6x9 Paperback. Illustrated. Color Section. Bibliography. Index.