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In a message dated 97-10-19 12:54:15 EDT, you write: > Mummy dust was used in medicine until recent centuries. I gather that > many a mummy ended up being powdered & siold abroad. > > tom izbicki > Also, there was a brown paint used during the 19th century called mummy. It was supposed to be made of ground up Egyptian mummies. I'm a bit sceptical about whether every pile of brown powder that was supposed to be "mummy" actually came from that source. A similar question arises about nails used to crucify Christ, and scraps of wood said to be from the true cross. Gorgeous settings were made for these little treasures, and many ended up in art museums. Without having made an exact count, I sometimes get the odd feeling that I am seeing too many nails in museums, as well as too many scraps of wood. Not quite enough nails to build a house, but more than there ought to be. I imagine a medieval pedlar going from town to town, with his little pack of nails and wood--and perhaps also "mummy." If people wern't too educated, I imagine it would create quite a sensation if he pulled out a nail or two and told his story. Sorry to be so cynical. But not every necklace you buy in Egypt today actually came from the tombs of the pharaohs. The charlatans are ever with us, and I suspect they may always have been at work. It seems to me the Catholic Church is very meticulous in investigating when somebody reports a miracle today, or claims to have uncovered a holy relic. Maybe the Vatican noticed too, at a certain point, that there might be (ahem) too many nails. pat sloane %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%