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CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURES TABLES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. UNRAVELLING THE MUMMY THE MUMMY?S CONUNDRUM MUMMIES AND THE MEDIA Trash and treasure The meanings of mummies RESEARCHING MUMMYMANIA Source material The museum crusade Into the field EGYPTIAN MUMMIFICATION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Introduction A history of ancient Egypt Mummification Attitudes toward death 2. SEX AND DEATH: Nineteenth and early twentieth century popular culture INTRODUCTION HISTORICAL OVERVIEW THOUGHTS AND ACTS The mummy as object De rigueur Ubiquity Disclosure Anonymity The mummy as subject Dead men do tell tales Individuation Christian burials The Argus effect PARADIGMS IN FICTION AND LEGEND Introduction Romance The curse CONCLUSION 3. FEAR AND LOATHING: Twentieth century Classic mummy films INTRODUCTION CLASSIC FILM PLOTS SEARCHING FOR THE CURSE The classic formula Warning Hubris I: Activation Pronouncement Nemesis Hubris II: Escalation Challenge Victory Popular definitions Museums vs. tombs THE CURSE INVERTED THE ELUSIVE AUDIENCE CONCLUSION 4. GIGGLES AND GOOSEBUMPS: Late twentieth century popular culture INTRODUCTION POSTCLASSIC MUMMY STEREOTYPES Mummy dearest Fascinating bandages Messy mummies The monster mash An open and shut case POSTCLASSIC CURSES Types of mummies and curses Baddies: evil mummies and the classic curse Oafs: emasculated mummies and the contagioncurse Freaks: clown mummies and the absent curse RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, FUTURE DIRECTIONS CONCLUSION 5. ATTRACTION AND REPULSION: Mummies in museums INTRODUCTION POPULAR STEREOTYPES: MUSEUMS VS. THE VISITOR Problems with displays ?Get more mummies? ?That ain?t real? ?Can they come alive again? ?The mummy will see you? Selling out ETHICS: THE GREAT DEBATE To display, or not to display? Repulsive attraction CONCLUSION 6. WRAPPING IT UP INTRODUCTION A SHORT HISTORY OF MUMMYMANIA MUMMYMANIA AND MUSEUMS MUMMYMANIA AND POLITICS MUMMYMANIA AND ETHICS THE MUMMY, OUR MOTHER THE MUMMY IN THE MIRROR APPENDIX: Questionnaires, interviews and participant observation ENDNOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication:
Mummies -- Egypt.
Popular culture -- English-speaking countries.