WHEN: September 3, 2009
WHEN: 10:00 a.m.
WHAT: Vice President Joe Biden Remarks on "The Progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the overall state of the economy" at the Brookings Institution. WHERE: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Falk Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: Nora Cohen, 202-503-5568 NOTE: Camera pre-set is 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Restricted access is 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Press arrival is at 8:30 a.m. Final press access is at 9:30 a.m. Media must RSVP with the name, position (reporter, TV camera, photographer, etc.), media outlet, phone number, and email address for each person planning to cover the event to press@ovp.eop.gov by Wednesday, September 2 at 3 p.m. At the event, you will be required to wear your outlet's media credential at all times, either around the neck or pinned to clothing






This is the mummy of Cleopatra, who is by far one of the most ever famous queens of all times in ancient Egypt. Her story of love and death is very famous and she ruled Egypt and made it quite powerful at the time. Cleopatra - Read her incredible story and find out what she did to maintain her power as pharaoh.

Overview of Mummies

Mummies have captivated audiences for centuries and continue to reveal hidden secrets. Old and modern movies such as; The Mummy’s Hand, or The Mummy Returns continues to fascinate many people. But what is a mummy? The word mummy derived from early spectators who presumed that mummies were covered with bitumen, which meant in Persian moumia and therefore took the modern name mummy. Whether it’s been preserved naturally or deliberately, all mummies must survive the duration of time. Gaining most of its fame from Egypt, mummies also exist in many other ancient cultures and countries. Countries such as China revealed the Cherchen mummies, which were preserved almost perfectly. Another place, such as South America, revealed three children from the Incas who were relics of a sacrificial ritual and were found frozen atop Argentina’s Mount Llullaillaco, which is about 22,000 feet high. Although mummification existed in other cultures, eternal life was the main focus of all Ancient Egyptians, which meant preserving the body forever. The earliest attempts were recorded in 3000 B.C. The technique used during this period was minimal and not yet mastered. As time progressed, the organs were eventually removed and stored in canopic jars, allowing the body to preserve better. It wasn’t until the Middle Kingdom that embalmers used natural salts to remove moisture from the body. This dried it out and preserved more flesh then bone. Once dried, mummies were anointed with oils and perfumes, which was part of their ritual. The 21st Dynasty brought forth its most advanced skills in embalming and the mummification process reached its peak. After going though the process, the mummies were laid to rest inside a tomb. There the mummy would rest forever, or so it was thought. Most Egyptians prepared for death; they tried to provide a secure resting place that would last an eternity. Although this was their wish, it did not work that way. Often times the weather and tomb robbers were the main culprits that destroyed many tombs. Most tomb robbers, who were believed to be the tomb builders, often reentered the tomb after it was sealed, unwrapping the mummy and removing all amulets and stones. The coffins made of wood, which also held many precious stones, where also picked and destroyed. After destroying the tomb, many of the mummies would be taken out and burnt for fuel or sold as a souvenir product. Although tomb robbers were the main culprits, modern cultures also influenced the desecration of many mummies. After the fall of the Egyptian empire, the Christians soon dominated along with the Arabs. Most mummies that were collected by the Arabs were used as pagan symbols, while the Christians cast aside the bodies. The Arabs, who learned of Ancient Egyptian enchantment, saw the mummies as tools of magic and medicinal purposes. Used as medicine, the mummy powder or mummy oil was to be applied externally or taken internally. These false superstitions lead to many thousands of mummies to be destroyed. The Europeans imported mummies by the ton, and collected oils from boiled mummy bodies. This oil, which was skimmed off the top of the water, was used to stop bruising and was used to cure a variety of disorders. Many of the monarchs relied upon it. Although used as medicinal purposes by Europeans and Arabs, the Americans used the linen for paper -- the material used in wrapping the mummy. The cholera epidemic broke our soon after and it was seemingly reported that the paper was the cause. Production was halted. During this time it’s evident many mummies were destroyed, including most royal mummies. Something needed to be done. Cairo was flourishing with people seeking Ancient Egyptian Artifacts and had to soon stop its looters. It was not until 1858 did Auguste Mariette start a program called Antiquities Organization. This started the trend to protect all artifacts. Any one who was digging in Egypt had to have a permit, and this allowed inspectors to enter a site at any given time if a discovery was found such as a tomb. No one could enter the site until the inspector was present and any tomb found intact went straight to the Museum.

Burial the of Mummy
Death for an Ancient Egyptian was sad, but at the same time it was also a time for celebration. Many preparations were made throughout the life of a Royal Egyptian. Tombs were painted with festive daily life, coffins were decorated elaborately, and many objects were stored with the dead so they could take those things with them into the afterlife. Professional mourners were brought in to grief someone they never knew and of course family members and friends who knew the deceased would also show up mourning the death of their loved one. After mourning the death of a loved one, servants filled the tomb with belongings and special furniture. Objects such as canopic jars were carried to the tomb along with ushabti (small figures to help the deceased accomplish tasks in the afterworld). Statues of the deceased would also be included, along with gold, shrines, and cosmetic items. Once the magnificent objects were added, the mummy was carried to the tomb entrance. The “Opening of the Mouth” ritual was then performed. Priests of low ranking purified the body with water and incense while higher-ranking priests uttered words from an ancient dialect that came from the Archaic Period. These priests used a knife to open the mouth of the deceased. This allowed the body to take food offerings and supposedly also renewed the five senses. This ceremony, depending on the person’s stature, could last days and in the case of high-ranking people, this ritual was also reenacted on statues and pictures all of which went into the tomb. An ox was then sacrificed and the leg was offered to the body. While the ceremony was taking place, family members prepared a festive feast for family, friends, and the professional mourners. After the funeral was complete, outside the tomb a lector priest recited chants. At this time final offerings were added to the tomb and it was swept out. Out side the tomb mourners ate fresh cattle and bread while the priests made their way back across the Nile. Once all the celebrations were completed the tomb was sealed. Cemetery workers applied stone, rubble, and a plaster door stamped with a royal seal. Although the tomb was sealed shut, it was important that the Egyptian family add offerings to the tomb for as long as they could finance it. This was done in hopes that the loved one would not go through a second death in the afterlife – this could mean no return. This whole burial process seemed elaborate and it was for the royal subjects, but what type of rituals were performed on peasants and skilled workers who had no means of financing such a magnificent burial? They simply were embalmed with little effort, enough to preserve the body and to allow the deceased to enter the afterlife. Elaborate tombs were mainly for persons who had wealth status, such as pharaohs, queens, royal subjects, etc.. Often times family members could not afford such tombs, so bodies of loved ones were buried in massive tombs filled with people of the same class and status.

Snefru - Read about the pharaoh that was responsible for so many pyramids.

The first attempt to preserve the dead is recorded as early as 3000 BC, but not much was known. Only few depictions clue us in on this subject probably because it was too sacred to be shown to people during this time period. Most knowledge is based upon Herodotus, a Greek historian, and depictions left by later Egyptians. Together, both through depictions and Herodotus, we can get an insight into what might have happened during the mummification process.After the death of an Egyptian, the embalmers where called by family members and the body was taken to the ibu, “the tent of purification.” In this tent, which was located on the west bank of the Nile, the body would go through a process that lasted seventy days, no longer. Once brought to the ibu, the carcass was cleaned with water containing the purifying agent natron. This cleaning ritual, which was the first process, may have represented the rebirth of the deceased.After being washed and cleansed, the carcass was taken to the wabet, the “palace of embalming.” According to Herodotus, a large incision was made on the left side of the abdomen. This incision, which was cut with a flint knife, was used for removing vital organs such as the intestines, liver, lungs and stomach. Often times the kidneys were ignored because it was thought they had little importance. Once removed, the organs were wrapped and placed in canopic jars. During the later periods of Egyptian Dynasty, the organs were placed between the legs of the mummy. Along with the organs, mainly during the late Middle or early New Kingdom forward, the brain was removed. A large hole was punched through the ethmoid bone located just above the nostrils. A hook shaped object was used to move the brain about until it became liquified and easily drained. According to Herodotus, the rest of the contents were removed with “drugs.”After the body had been cleansed and the organs removed, it was then ready for the next step, the drying of the body. The process remains a controversial subject because of Herodotus’s choice of words used to describe the process. He used the word pickle; which led many Egyptologists to believe the body was submerged in a solution of natron salt. The other method, which was tested and proved more logical, called for large amounts of natron salt packed around the body until the 70th day, when the body was desiccated. After being dried in the bed of natron salt, the body is then washed and all traces of the salt removed. The cadaver is then taken to per nefer, “the house of beauty,” where it is stuffed and shaped back to its normal size. Many perfumes and oils were rubbed on the body and the open wounds were filled and covered with wax. Over the wax a metal plate decorated with symbols of protection sealed the wounds. After the anointing was completed, molten resin was added to cover the body. Both men and women would be colored with ochre. The men would be colored red and the women yellow.Colored and stuffed, it’s was then ready to be wrapped. The wrapping process lasted fifteen to thirteen days. Family members of the deceased would donate cloth to embalmers and in many cases, special fine cloth with spells written upon them were used. Most of the time, sheets of linen were used as the main wrapping material. This process was done until the body was protected from head to foot in linen. After being covered, the body was covered with a death mask made of papyrus or linen and reinforced with plaster. Royal mummies, such as Tutankhamun’s, were made of gold and held precious and semiprecious stones that were inlaid. The mummy was then packaged and ready for the afterlife and was placed into its coffins and laid to rest in its tomb. This was all done along with the deceased person’s belongings.Not all mummies went through this process. According to Herodotus, there were three methods of mummification that were broken up into classes; wealthy, middle class, and poor. The wealthy went through the full process while the middle was downgraded and the poor was done very minimally, only enough to preserve the body.

Have you ever head about The Curse of the Mummies?
The curse of the mummy began when many terrible events occurred after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Legend has it that anyone who dared to open the tomb would suffer the wrath of the mummy. Because mummies have been associated with many magical powers throughout history, some of the mummies found from Egypt were ground into a fine powder and sold as this mystical mummy powder. It's believed the powder had magical healing powers and it wasn't until the discovery of King Tut and the hype of the media that things would change forever.

The hype began when Lord Carnarvon, the person who funded the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb, died shortly after the discovery. The path to his death began in the spring of 1923 when he was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. During his morning shaving routines, he further aggravated the mosquito bite. It soon became infected and Lord Carnarvon found himself ill. He suffered a high fever and chills. A doctor was sent to examine him but medical attention arrived too late and Lord Carnarvon died. At that exact moment the lights in Cairo mysteriously went out.

Once Carnarvon died the media went wild with stories of his death. They claimed King Tut wanted vengeance and announced a mummy's curse, which targeted those who had entered the tomb. Not only did the death of Carnarvon get all the people in an uproar but other stories began to surface as well. Of the stories that surfaced, two remain prominent. One of the prominent stories is that a cobra killed Howard Carter's (explorer who discovered King Tut’s tomb) pet canary after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. The other story is that Lord Carnarvon's dog howled and dropped dead at two in the morning when Carnarvon died.

What is interesting is that Howard Carter lived a decade after this major discovery. So what happened to Howard Carter during all this hype? Howard Carter spent his last years logging and recording every artifact found in the tomb. Why didn't he suffer the curse of the mummy? He was, after all, the first to enter the tomb.

Did King Tut's Tomb really unleash a curse? New findings are showing that bacteria on the wall of the tomb might have been the cause of the curse. The bacteria would release spores into the air allowing it to be breathed. This in turn caused people who came into contact with these spores to become ill. Could this be what killed Lord Carnarvon? It appears that this could have contributed to his demise, as well as the fact that he was not in the best of health.

Whether the mummy’s curse is fact or fiction, this story seems to interest people even today. The myth of the curse has remained with King Tut and continues to make people question as to whether the curse was really unleashed. What is known is that when you mix propaganda, facts, and hype you get a story that can be exciting. It all really boils down to one question. Do you believe in the curse of the mummy? We will leave that for you to decide.

Photos: Ayoub mzee