The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean · Sam Kean, Bleav

When Mummymania Swept the World

October 15, 2024·18 min·1 clip

Ancient Egyptians would be outraged that their sacred mummies were ground up for paint, used as fertilizer, or burned as train fuel.

This episode explores the bizarre 19th-century craze of 'mummy mania,' when Egyptian mummies were imported to Europe by the ton. It traces how sacred artifacts were auctioned as souvenirs, ground up for medicine and paint, pulped for paper, and even used as fertilizer and railroad fuel, revealing a shocking chapter in colonial exploitation and changing cultural attitudes.

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