Asru, An Ancient Egyptian Temple Chantress: Modern Spectrometric Studies As Part of the Manchester Egyptian Mummy Research Project

It is now recognised that, in order to obtain optimum results from the investigation of mummified remains, it is necessary to involve many disciplines. Modern projects have emphasized the importance of teamwork and methodology. In 1973, the author established the Manchester Egyptian Mummy Research Project at The Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, England [1], to develop a methodology to examine Egyptian human mummified remains, and to obtain detailed information about disease, diet, lifestyle and funerary customs in ancient Egypt. It has always adopted a multidisciplinary approach, and has used a range of techniques that include radiology, palaeo-odontology, palaeopathology, palaeohistology, palaeoserology, electron microscopy, DNA analysis, immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry.