This book recounts the eventful life of Ankh-Hap, a Ptolemaic-era mummy seized in the nineteenth century from infamous mummy-pits of Egypt. In piecing together Ankh-Hap's story, including details of his life in Egypt and the journey his mummy took to and through America, A Mystery from the Mummy-Pits provides a fascinating glimpse into a dark chapter of mummy history.

Preface Chapter 1. The Mystery Begins Chapter 2. A Life and Death in Egypt Chapter 3. Coming to America Chapter 4. Mummies of the Imagination Chapter 5. The Mummy-Pits of Egypt Chapter 6. A Relic in the Restroom Appendix 1. Houston Mummy Research Program Volunteers Appendix 2. Henry Ward's Peruvian Mummies Glossary Select Bibliography Index

"Holt's story of his work on Ankh-Hap is very personal and intimate, eminently readable and lively, and brings Ankh-Hap to life. It emphasizes the importance of studying mummies in order that the dead may live again and be remembered, connecting us to our shared past and humanity." -- Salima Ikram, Author of Ancient Egypt: An Introduction "Prior to the modern era of relatively responsible archaeology, the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries often revealed a fascination with the seedier side of Egyptomania. This resulted in the tragic mistreatment of ancient Egyptian human remains to serve a wide range of commercial agendas. In this engaging and readable account, Frank L. Holt provides some much needed context for this era with a story that cuts across multiple layers of American society." -- Peter Der Manuelian, Author of Walking Among Pharaohs: George Reisner and the Dawn of Modern Egyptology "There are many books about mummies, but Frank L. Holt's is a unique, informative, and fascinating contribution to the subject. Based on several decades of detective research, it tells the story of the Ankh-Hap mummy: from its origin to its departure from the mummy pits of late nineteenth-century Egypt to its permanent home in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Along the way, readers are treated to the bonus of a concise history of mummy-mania." -- Ronald H. Fritze, Author of Egyptomania: A History of Fascination, Obsession, and Fantasy "Frank Holt's very readable account of Ankh-Hap, a Ptolemaic-era mummy appropriated in the 19th century from a tomb in Egypt, is a unique, informative, and fascinating contribution to the study of ancient Egyptian mummified remains... Offers readers a rare glimpse inside a dark chapter of mummy history, and provides a salutary example of what many mummies endured at that time." -- The Past "This is a delightful book." -- CHOICE "This is a delightful book." -- Choice

Frank L. Holt is Professor of History at the University of Houston. His previous books include When Money Talks: A History of Coins and Numismatics, The Treasures of Alexander the Great: How One Man's Wealth Shaped the World, Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan, and Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan. Holt is also a prolific writer for the public, with essays appearing in Newsweek, American Scientist, Archaeology, History Today, Archaeology Odyssey, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Saudi Aramco World, and other widely read publications.

Selling point: Presents a look at a fascinating and unusual feature of Egyptomania Selling point: Recounts one of the pioneering investigations of an Egyptian mummy by CT-scan Selling point: Provides a readable introduction to modern mummy studies by focusing on a particularly mysterious case Selling point: Uncovers the trafficking of mummies and mummy parts in modern America