Horrible Jobs in Ancient Egypt

Book excerpt: What could be worse than embalming a dead body? Being buried with it! Some pharaohs and wealthy Egyptians insisted their servants be buried with them to serve in the afterlife. Other jobs of the time were less deadly, but smellier! Readers learn a lot about ancient Egyptian society as they're introduced to the unsavory tasks of slaves, peasants, and others. Full-color images showcase archeological evidence of these gross jobs, and interesting sidebars and fact boxes add even more stinky detail. Candid examples--including the removal of a person's guts during mummification--will stay with readers long after they've finished reading.