The guest speakers for the FOSA Annual Meeting of 2010 will be Professors Ronald Beckett and Gerald Conlogue of Quinnipiac College. Their most noted work in recent years has been hosting the National Geographic Channel's "The Mummy Road Show." Through their experience and skills gained from careers in medical imaging, they have adapted its use to various non-medical purposes. They call these new adapted uses paleoimaging, imaging of old and ancient objects or artifacts. Paleoimaging uses x-rays, endoscopy and CT-scans to nondestructively examine artifacts. Their skills with paleoimaging have assisted research projects around the world.

Just as ground penetrating radar can aid the archaeologists in disclosing anomalies below ground, so can paleoimaging devices help with examining human remains, animal remains and artifacts, without performing an autopsy or damaging them from their original discovered state. We all probably have had an x-ray at some time. This same system can image artifacts such as a sealed container or mummified human remains to disclose or suggest what's inside without a physical intrusion. Gerald Conlogue is very skillful at this task; he has x-rayed objects in museums without removing them from their display cases. Complementing the x-ray is endoscopy, where a camera probe attached to a flexible rod can travel through a passageway in an object, and its voyage through that object can be observed on an external monitor. This is Ronald Beckett's area of expertise. They have also in some cases gone to the extent of performing a CT-scan (Computed Tomography) on artifacts. With CT-scanning one can get a three-dimensional picture instead of the two-dimensional x-ray. It produces a slice or layer-by-layer highresolution image. Though these technologies can be applied for various purposes in archaeology, Ron and Jerry have most notably used them to examine mummies. All three devices have been used to disclose such things as the true or suggested cause of death of individuals who have been mummified.

My first thought was of mummies is Egypt; something far removed from North America history and archaeology, but research into Beckett's and Conlogue's work opened my eyes to so much more. The following is a sampling.

When something is mummified we think of this being accomplished artificially, but it can also occur naturally. Even though there is a plethora of mummies attributed to Egypt, mummies have been found on all continents except Antarctica. But we are sure there are unrecovered naturally mummified remains preserved in the Antarctica ice because of failed polar expeditions. For mummification to occur naturally, the environment has to be conducive to preventing post mortem decay. Therefore, such places as the polar regions, deserts and peat bogs have the ability to preserve and mummify.

Then, of course, there are many cultures around the world that practice artificial means to preserve their deceased, so they can view their loved ones after death. There are also the famous and infamous persons of history who have been artificially mummified such as Lenin of Russia and Eva Peron of Argentina. To my surprise, President Abraham Lincoln was mummified to preserve his remains for that 12-day tour after his death to pay him homage.

In the past, mummies could be purchased legally and illegally for museums, collectors and carnival sideshows. You could even buy them out of catalogues. Ron and Jerry have also proven some of these mummies to be fakes using their nondestructive methods. Some of the mummies they have been called in to investigate have some legendary tale to go along with them. With their scientific equipment they have revealed evidence about the mummies' age, sex, bone wear, injuries or illnesses. Often times this evidence has proven or suggested contradictions to the mummies' legend.

Animals can also be mummified, just as humans are. This was the case in ancient Egypt, where animals such as cats, dogs, snakes and various other domestic animals were mummified to accompany the dead to their next life. The most spectacular animal mummy find is that of a naturally mummified baby mammoth found in the Siberian tundra, estimated at 40,000 years old (National Geographic, May 2009).

Lastly, where does one draw the line between mummification and taxidermy? By definition what is the difference between the two? Mummification is any dead body that has been preserved by heat, cold, special preparation, etc., while taxidermy is the art or process of stuffing and mounting the preserved skins of dead animals for preservation or exhibition. These are interesting questions that Ron and Jerry were contemplating at the end of their book, Mummy Dearest, because of certain circumstances in a case they were working on. Both are preservation processes, but where do we draw the line between the two? Perhaps this may be brought out more clearly at the Annual Meeting.

Ron and Jerry have worked with a diverse group of people from all walks of life and all over the globe. They have dealt with world-renowned anthropologists, museum directors, anonymous collectors, carnival operators and many people who live on straw mats and dirt floors. Ron and Jerry deserve admiration and respect for their cultural sensitivity, humility, code of conduct and work ethics they display to all. They even sympathize with those in these third world nations who loot mummy remains to sell because they understand these people are only trying to put food on their families' tables. Looting is a problem, but experts in the field are coming up with alternate means to employ people to assist in mummy retrieval and research.

I hope I have shed some light on what you can expect from the 2010 Annual Meeting lecture and presentation. You will be in for an exciting day and I am sure you will be able to relate to the technology that these talented individuals employ to your own experiences with medical exams and procedures. I am really psyched for this occasion.

Ron Beckett and Jerry Conlogue. Mummy Dearest. The Lyon Press, Guilford, CT: 2005.
Malam, John. Mummies. Kingfisher, Boston, MA: 2003.