06x09 - Mummies Made in Egypt

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♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Hi there,
and welcome

To the bumpiest
taxi ride
in boston.

Our camel's name
is akh.

That's an arabic
word.

It means brother.

Oh, oh, oh,
oh, brother!

We usually think
of camels

As moving across
the deserts
of egypt.

Camels are called
ships of the desert

And are right at home

With the huge figures
of the sphinx and pyramids.

These mountains of stone
were built

Thousands of years ago
by the egyptians.

They're one of
the seven wonders of the world.

The pyramids were
burial monuments

For the kings and queens
of egypt.

Today akh is taking us
on a journey

Into the history and mystery
of ancient egypt

To unravel the secrets
of egyptian mummies.

Mummies...
What are they?

How were they made?

And who made them?

Do you know
what a mummy is?

Your mom.

It's someone
wrapped up.

One eye, one nose,
one mouth, one ear.

Mummies walk like this.

And two bodies.

A person that's
all wrapped up

And put underground.

Ha ha ha!

People have lots of ideas
about mummies.

Some are more fantasy
than reality.

This book has all the facts
wrapped up.

It's called
mummies made in egypt.

Written and illustrated...

Ancient egypt was
a long, narrow country

Divided in half
by the nile river.

The land beyond was desert.

There the ancient egyptians
buried their dead.

The ancient egyptians
had one great wish.

That wish was
to live forever.

Egyptians believed
that after they d*ed

A new life began.

They would live
in their tombs

As they lived on earth.

In order for a person
to live forever,

The body had to be preserved,
or mummified.

A mummy is a corpse
that has been dried out

So it will not decay.

The earliest egyptians
were mummified naturally.

The corpse was buried
in the ground.

The hot, dry sand
dried out the body.

As time went on

And burials became
more elaborate,

People learned how
to embalm,

Or mummify, their dead.

Embalmers became so expert

That the mummies they made
remained preserved

For thousands of years.

Mummification was a long,
complicated,

And expensive process.

It took 70 days for embalmers
to prepare a body.

First they took
out the organs.

They started with the brain.

Then the inner organs
were removed.

The body cavity was stuffed

With bundles of a chemical
called natron.

Then the whole body
was covered with natron.

The corpse was placed
on a slanted embalming bed

With a groove at the bottom.

Fluids from the corpse dripped
into a container.

After 40 days,
the natron packs were removed.

The dried, shrunken body
was sponged clean

And brushed with oils,
ointments, spices, and resin.

The arms were crossed.

The mummy's fingernails
and toenails

Were covered with caps
of gold.

The mummy was adorned
with jewels of gold

And precious stones.

The body was
carefully bound

With long, narrow strips
of linen.

Fingers, toes, arms, and legs
were wrapped individually.

Every few layers were
glued together with resin.

After 20 layers,
the mummy's body took on

Its normal size.

The bound head was covered
with a portrait mask.

The mask, too, was bound.

Then the whole package
was wrapped in a shroud

And given a last coat
of resin.

The mummy was finished.

Meanwhile, skilled artists,
sculptors, and carpenters

Prepared for the burial.

They made the coffin,

Or a nest of coffins,
like these,

For the mummy.

The coffins were painted
inside and out

With gods, goddesses,
and magic spells of protection.

A splendid sarcophagus,
or stone box,

Was made
to hold the mummy's coffin.

The walls of the royal tombs
were carved and painted

With scenes from egyptian life.

A long, solemn
funeral procession

Took the mummy
to the tomb.

As years went by,

Tombs became bigger, stronger,
and more elaborate.

Pharaohs, or egyptian kings,

Had pyramids built
for themselves.

Pyramids were huge
stone monuments.

They were magnificently
carved and painted.

When the funeral procession
came to rest at the tomb,

The mummy was put
into the sarcophagus,

Which was covered
with a heavy stone lid.

The entrance to the tomb
was sealed up

With a wall of stone slabs.

At last, the mummy was
in its eternal resting place.

Thanks to aliki's book,

We've unwound some
of the mysteries of mummies.

Where do you go to see
a mummy face-to-face?

If this were ancient egypt,

Akh could take us
to a pyramid.

But we're in 20th-century
boston,

And our destination...
The museum of fine arts boston,

Which has one of the largest
collections of mummies

In the united states.

Oops.

Let's go.

Wow! I can't believe we're
standing next to real mummies.

They're over 3,000 years old.

What makes them even
more special is

That we know who they were.

This is the coffin
of the mummy ta-bes.

It's encased in plexiglass
to protect it.

When ta-bes lived
in ancient egypt,

She was a singer
in the temple choir.

The beautiful paintings
on her coffin call her

"The songstress of ahmed."

The paintings also tell us

That ta-bes was married
to a barber

Who shaved
the temple priests' heads.

This is the mummy
of nes-mut-at-neru.

Her coffin says that she was
"the lady of the house."

She probably took care
of a home and children.

Her mummification was
very costly

Because of the fine linens

And the beautiful beadwork
adorning the body.

Mummies were hidden
for centuries

Deep within the pyramids.

Mummies were also buried
in other sacred places,

Like the cliffs
of the valley of the kings.

The mummies were laid to rest
in beautiful burial chambers

That were cool, dry, and dark.

Hundreds of paintings
decorated the walls

With scenes of ancient egyptian
men and women silently working,

Suspended in time
for thousands of years.

People have always wanted
to look

Beneath the wrappings
of the mummies

To see what's really
underneath there.

But that can be
a pretty risky business,

Because mummies are
extremely fragile.

You would be, too, if you were
over 3,000 years old.

Moving mummies too much
can cause them to crumble.

How do we get
a look at them?

Let's go to kalamazoo, michigan,
and find out.

Mummies aren't moved
very often,

But this is a special occasion.

This mummy has
a doctor's appointment.

The mummy's head was unwrapped
before it was donated

To the kalamazoo public museum.

The curator wants to find out
more about the mummy.

Today we'll look
under the wrappings

As 20th-century medicine
probes 2,500-year-old secrets.

[Siren]

This is the ct scanner room
at bronson methodist hospital.

The ct scanner is a special
kind of x-ray machine

That takes detailed pictures
without damaging the mummy.

The x-ray session
is being supervised

By dr. Robert fosmoe,
a radiologist,

And dr. Lorelei corcoran,
an egyptologist.

Physician?
Myself.

Let's see what
the ct can show us

That's beneath
the wrappings.

There we have it.

What can we see
here on the screen?

Beneath all
of the wrappings

We have the mummy.

Here are the eyes.

This is the nose.

Here's the mouth.
You can see
the teeth,

The jaw, the neck.

The hands are crossed
on the chest.

We can even see
the individual fingers

Of the hands.

The ct scan shows a skeleton
in good condition.

It also indicates
dental problems.

These are the teeth.

They're very worn down,
many are missing.

They're really
in extremely bad shape.

I think it was the sand
that's responsible.

They lived on a desert.

The sand would get
into their food.

The sand would wear
down their teeth.

We see the eyes,
they're intact.

The sinuses are clear

Except the central
sinus region,
which is white.

Probably the brain
was extracted
through the nose.

This is the pelvis.

We can tell this is
a female by the shape.

I see a certain
whiteness of the joint.

This often
follows childbirth.

She was a mother.

The x-rays tell us
part of the story.

We also want to know

What did this mummy
look like?

Using the ct scans,

A forensic artist will create
a model of her face.

First, make life-size
drawings from each scan.

Ray evenhouse uses
the ct scans

To create an exact
three-dimensional replica

Of the mummy's skull.

Next, transfer the drawings
onto styrofoam board,

Which gives me
a layer in the skull.

When we stack
all the layers

On top of each other,

We've recreated
the original skull.

I then have to cut
small pieces of blue plastic

To indicate
the tissue depths

Over specific areas
on the skull.

The skin and the muscle
on the face

Are at different thicknesses
in different areas.

The markers tell us

How thick the clay
should be in those areas.

The eyes really help
the face come alive.

After the model
is finished,

I have to add coloring
to the face.

On the lips
I use a soft red.

The final touch
in this sculpture

Was adding the wig.

It's pretty remarkable
to see a face come alive

From 3,000 years ago.

I just thought I'd check
on akh,

Put some more money
in the meter.

It's easy to buy time
for parking,

But it's a lot harder
to buy time

For ancient objects,
like mummies.

Talented people use
unusual techniques

To make sure
these treasures stay around

For thousands of years to come.

Hi, mimi.

Hi, levar.

This is mimi leveque.

She works here
at the conservation
laboratory

At the museum
of fine arts boston.

What are you doing?

I'm cleaning
the mummy of a cat.

They mummified animals
as religious offerings.

Do you have
any other animals?

We have a lamb.

How do you know
that's a lamb?

You can see his eyes
and ears.

They were put
on in linen.

The mouth was done
in linen at the front.

They wrapped him
up like that.

That's a mummy
of a crocodile.

There's his head.

His body is here,
and this is a tail.

How do you know
this is really a cat?

It was made to look
like a little cat.

It has its head here.

Little buttons
were put underneath
the linen

To look like eyes.

Where's his tail?

Wrapped up inside.

And these squares
on top are just
decorations?

That's right.

What were you doing
when I came in?

I'm taking the dirt
off the surface.

Then I'm going
to take off
these moth casings.

Moths were eating
the linen,

Just like they would
eat your sweater.

See the moth casing
here?

I'm going to take it
with these tweezers.

I don't want
to disturb

Any of the linen
underneath.

I'm going to take it
off the surface.

Wow. That's amazing.

See this little one
right here?

I'm going to do
exactly the same thing.

I loosen it
with the tweezers

And pull very gently.

Right out.

Now I can use
my brush

To take the last
of the dust out.

See how much cleaner
that looks?

This place is like
a laboratory.

It is a laboratory.

We've got microscopes
and technical equipment

To help us work
on the art.

Susanne is looking
under a microscope

At a little object.

She needs it to see
all the areas

Of loose and flaking
paint really close up.

She'll inject those areas
with a special adhesive

That will set them
right down.

We also use special
chemicals and cleaners,

Like the powder
carol is putting
onto the object.

She'll rub it gently
and then vacuum it up.

I've got someone
I want you to meet.

We've been working
on him a long time.

This is my friend iti.

He's a mummy
who's 4,000 years old.

Why is he here
in the conservation lab?

We've been
taking care of him

For a long time.

When he was
underground,

Termites got
into the tomb.

His linen was
in the shreds
you see underneath.

We dyed some silk
to match

His original
linen color.

We were able
to wrap it around him

Like a silk stocking,

So it would protect
what was left
of the linens

And make sure nothing
else deteriorated.

Thanks for showing us
the lab.

Come back again soon.

It's important to take care
of these treasures from the past

So people can continue
to admire and study

And to read about them.

If the lure of mummies
has you in its spell,

Here are some books
you're bound to dig.

Hi. My name is emily.

I'd like to tell you about
an interesting science book--

I can be an archaeologist,
by robert pickering.

Archaeologists are scientists
who study

How ancient people lived.

They look at clues
that people left behind

Hundreds of years ago.

Some clues are big,

Like the houses
people lived in.

Some clues are small,
like coins and tools.

When I grow up,
I want to be a scientist.

If you're interested
in how people lived in the past,

Get this book.

Hi. I'm chris.

Did you know
that crocodiles go to school

With lunch boxes
and pencils?

They do in this
hysterical book,

Bill and pete
go down the nile.

This is about
a crocodile named bill

And his toothbrush,
who is a bird named pete.

When they go to school,

They learn about egypt,
their homeland,

And the nile river.

Their teacher takes them
on a class trip

To see the mummies
and pyramids.

The exciting part
comes at the end.

I don't want
to give it away.

I'll only tell you
that somebody winds up a mummy.

You should read this book
because it's a riot.

Since most kids can't take
a real trip down the nile,

This is the perfect
substitute.

Where can you go to find
ancient artifacts,

New paintings,
and weird sculptures?

A museum, of course,
or you can try reading

The book I just read,
visiting the art museum.

It's about a family
with kids

Who don't want to go
to the museum,

But their parents
take them anyway.

They discover a museum
can be very interesting.

They see egyptian pharaohs,

Lots of sculptures,

And beautiful paintings.

My favorite part was
when they visited

The knights in shining armor,

Because I love medieval times.

I'm jeremy klaperman.

If you can't go
to the museum,

Get this book
so you can explore new worlds.

Museums are like
giant time capsules

That give us glimpses
into the past.

The more we discover
about other times and places,

Like ancient egypt,
the more there is to discover.

Oh, no!

Officer,
is there some problem?

I'm sorry, buddy,
but...

You're out of time.

Ha ha ha!

Oh, well,
I guess we are.

I'll see you next time.

Akh, why did you
let him

Give us a ticket?

Today's reading rainbow
books are...

Mummies made in egypt,
by aliki,

Published by thomas y. Crowell.

I can be an archaeologist,
by robert b. Pickering,

From the "I can be" series,
published by children's press.

Bill and pete
go down the nile,

By tomie depaola, publishe@
by g.p. Putnam's sons.

Visiting the art museum,

By laurene krasny brown
and marc brown,

Published by e.p. Dutton.