Egyptian mummies – is that a special area of interest?

“No, not really. Although, I am an Egyptologist, so ancient Egypt is, in a way, my special interest. But not all Egyptologists work with mummies. Ten years ago, I would have never imagined that I would be working with mummies. I saw myself more as an historian working with ancient Egyptian source material.”

How did you end up writing a book about mummies?

“I previously worked at the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, and realised that the mummies are, by far, the most popular exhibit among the visitors. There is a huge interest in the mummies, both as a phenomenon – why and how were the dead mummified? – and the mummified individuals – how did he die? How old was she? How did they live? How did they end up here? So, it was probably the huge interest of the public that steered me towards mummies. Now, I think it’s really exciting, not least the Western world’s view of the Egyptian mummies.”

Who is the book geared towards, children or adults?

“It is a popular science book for adults. The idea is to both summarise the cultural-historical background of why the ancient Egyptians mummified their dead, and how they did it, while at the same time conveying the latest research. With new medical findings and examination methods, mummy research has in recent years gone from being a somewhat odd interest to becoming a growing field of research. For example, you can study how certain parasites have changed and adapted over time, and then use the results to develop more effective medicines and pesticides.”

But aren’t there enough books about mummies already? What makes your book different?

“A lot has been written about mummies for children, but there is nothing in Swedish for adults. The new research findings are usually published in other languages in niche journals, making them difficult to access, interpret and put into context. My book is the first to give a Swedish perspective on Egyptian mummies, what shape interest in mummies has taken in Sweden and how this has changed over time – everything from ground-up mummies being used as medicine in the 1700s to contemporary museum visitors being able to unpack mummies virtually as part of the museum experience. I am also writing about new findings that have emerged about the mummies we examined, especially at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities. Interesting details such as mummification techniques and the various individuals’ state of health, diseases and possible causes of death.”

Does Gustavianum also have mummies?

“Yes, among other objects, we have two whole mummified human bodies in Gustavianum’s collections. One of these is an adult male purchased by Queen Victoria during her trip to Egypt in the winter of 1890–91 and then donated to Uppsala University. The other is a mummified child, a little boy, that is part of a large collection purchased for Uppsala from Budapest in 1936. I am looking over them at the moment as we prepare for the new exhibit about ancient Egypt that will open when the museum reopens in 2023.”

What is the title of the book, when does it come out, and where can you buy it?

“So far, it only goes by the working title Mummy Book. But I have almost a year before I have to submit the manuscript to the publisher, so I hope to come up with something better. Any and all suggestions for a catchy title will be gratefully accepted!

It will hopefully be made available in the bookstore/webstore and probably the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities and Gustavianum.”