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Akhmim
Mummy Studies Consortium
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The Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium (AMSC) directs CT (computed tomography) scans on Egyptian mummies and archives the information for research
purposes. The Consortium has facilitated mummy research and museum exhibition projects throughout the United States. It
is the foremost mummy imagery developer in North America. Its findings have provided Egyptologists, other
mummy researchers and general audiences with a steady stream of new data to enliven the discussion of ancient
Egyptian culture, mummification ritual and related topics (See the Akhmim Mummy Project Update for more information). Please Note: The Consortium has just opened its original exhibition: "WRAPPED!
Search for the Essential Mummy" at Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA. The exhibition treats the life histories of
three ancient Egyptians as elicited from their actual mummies, and offers 4500 square feet of elegantly displayed mummy
lore, and interactives for families to enjoy. Wrapped is on display June 19th through October 31st 2010. Please visit
the Berkshire Museum website for more details.
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Forensic Rconstruction of Irethorrou. In collaboration with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Stanford University, Fovia Corporation and eHuman, the Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium scanned the mummy of Irethorrou, a priest of Osiris-Sokar at Akhmim, ca. 500 BC. A forensic facial reconstruction of Irethorrou was created in October 2009 for inclusion in the museum exhibit: "Very Post Mortem", showing at the FAMSF's Palace of the Legion of Honor, Oct. 31, 2009 through August 15, 2010.© 2009
Akhmim Mummy Studies
Consortium. All Rights
Reserved.
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THE AKHMIM MUMMY STUDIES CONSORTIUM Mission
The mission of the Akhmim
Mummy Studies Consortium (AMSCResearch LLC) is to advance knowledge of ancient Egyptian mummies from Akhmim and other
important regions. AMSCResearch uses its findings to improve understanding of the processes and rituals of Egyptian
mummification in general. AMSCResearch promotes the use
of CT as a tool for bioanthropological analysis of the population dispersed from the site, and supports large scale forensic
reconstruction of Egypt's ancient inhabitants in order to improve understanding of the diversity of various regional
populations in the Nile valley. The Consortium was established in 2004 to perform
research on ancient Egyptian mummies, particularly those associated with the city of Akhmim.
In 2007, it began to analyze mummies from other ancient Egyptian
sites. These mummies provide important comparative information by which the evolution of mummification methods can be assessed. CT
scans of mummies from the sites of Thebes (Luxor) and Tebtunis (Fayum region of northern Upper Egypt) are now part of the
Consortium's data sets. The Consortium's Community of Portraits TM An important aspect of our work is the creation of a true "Community of
Portraits" of ancient Egyptian people using modern methods of forensic facial reconstruction and CT-based skeletal
modelling. The Community of Portraits TM serves the needs of educational and museum facilities
insofar as it helps to portray the ancient Egyptian population for purposes of discussing issues of health, lifestyle, ethnicity
and a variety of other scientific topics. AMSCResearch believes that forensic facial reconstruction is a research
method which can provide important clues to the ethnicity of the population associated with the city of Akhmim and
can be used to explore the ethnic diversity of ancient Egypt more generally. Exhibition Content Development Services AMSCResearch regularly assists
institutions with Egyptological collections to improve exhibition content and organization. For institutions holding mummies
from Akhmim, AMSCResearch can greatly expedite the work necessary to analyze mummy CT scans and produce forensic reconstructions
of mummified individual for educational purposes. For most mummies, the process of forensic reconstruction is an effective means
of restoring "person-hood" and dignity within museum environments. This is important work having clear implications
with regard to the visual diversity of the ancient Akhmimic population. AMSCResearch will gladly work with mummy-owning institutions
to evaluate mummy provenience and if possible to assess genealogical position and family relationships. AMSCResearch
maintains data sets which can help in this regard. Furthermore, AMSCResearch seeks to facilitate mummy CT reconnaissances
on Egyptian mummies, and to provide mummy-owning institutions the means to formulate forensic reconstructions of ancient
persons. AMSCResearch invites mummy-owning museums wishing to develop forensic portraits to partner with it and help to
rediscover this important ancient community. Disclaimer The AMSCResearch promotes only careful, non-injurious investigation of
Egyptian mummies. Although AMSCResearch is involved in making forensic exhibits, it is not a "cadaver art"
project, nor does it perform its work invasively with respect to the mummified population of ancient Egypt. AMSCResearch
does not condone the use of plastinated bodies for exhibition purposes, nor does it believe that such endeavors represent
a positive form of science education.
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Outskirts of Akhmim (Cliff of al-Salamuni). © 2009
Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium. All Rights Reserved.
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Website Last Updated: 20 July 2010
© 2010 Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium All Rights Reserved. |
AKHMIM MUMMY STUDIES CONSORTIUM P.O. Box 84, Harrisburg, PA 17108-0084
USA Please
send all inquiries to director@amscresearch.com
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