This companion volume and catalog to the exhibit that opens on February
9, 2009, traces the life of Meresamun, whose mummy, dating to about 800
B.C., is one of the highlights of The Oriental Institute museum in
Chicago, IL. The text introduces the historical and cultural setting of
Egypt during her time. Essays and artifacts examine the role of music
and of musicians in Egyptian temple cults, their training, and the types
of musical instruments that Meresamun would have used. The life of
Meresamun outside the temple is explored, with emphasis upon her social
and legal status, what other professions were available to her, and what
home life was like. The study of the life of this individual is
augmented by forensic evidence obtained with the newest generation of CT
scanners that sheds life on Meresamun's life and death.