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Risking the Mummy's Curse!

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Summary: Ancient jar to be opened and examined

Press Release
Transcript

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 Synopsis

Dr. Gillian Shepherd, Curator of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of BirminghamAn ancient Egyptian canopic jar, which has kept its secrets under wraps since 1400bc, is to be opened by scientists at the University of Birmingham, England.

Canopic jars, part of the ancient Egyptian mummification process, were used to store the vital organs of a Mummy. Liver, lungs, intestine and stomach were removed, treated, wrapped in impregnated linen and stored in four canopic jars that were buried with the individual.

Though many of these jars have survived, few have retained the original contents. Hieroglyphics tell the experts from the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity that these are the remains of Puia who died in the period of the New Kingdom approx. 1400BC.

The jar has been scanned and shown to contain "something" - the University's Dr Gillian Shepherd, along with local medical experts, will open the jar in front of the Research TV cameras!

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 General Information

For more information about this film and Research-TV, email enquiries@research-tv.com, or call 020 7004 7130

Page contact: PA Temp 1 Last revised: Tue 18 Apr 2006
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