Ancient Corpses as Curiosities: Mummymania in the Age of Early Travel

Abstract

During the 19^th to early 20^th centuries, when “Egyptomania” swept the western world, swathes of travelers and tourists ventured to Egypt to indulge their obsessive interest in the land of the Nile. These early travelers enjoyed access to Egypt’s ancient past to an extent unimaginable today, and many returned with mummy souvenirs that now fill museum collections around the globe. An examination of the many personal travelogues published in this period provides insight into Victorian “mummymania” and the lengths to which early travelers often went to procure a mummy as a memento of their time spent in the land of the Nile.

DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v09i1_baber