Bob Brier

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Robert Brier, Ph.D (born December 13, 1943), also affectionately known as Mr. Mummy, is a American Egyptologist specializing in paleopathology. A Senior Research Fellow at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, he is specialist on mummies and the mummification process, and is seen in many Discovery Civilization documentaries, primarily on ancient Egypt.

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[edit] Background

Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Dr. Brier earned his bachelor's degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York. From 1966 to 1970, he was on the research staff of the Institute of Parapsychology (formerly the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man), in Durham, North Carolina, where he worked on such books as Parapsychology Today and Test Your ESP. He earned his Ph.D in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970, and began teaching at Long Island University in 1972. He served as chairman of the philosophy department from 1981 to 1996, and has also served as the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities' "Egyptology Today" program. He was appointed Senior Research Fellow at C.W. Post Campus in 2004.

[edit] Research and other achievements

Dr. Brier has conducted research in mummification practices worldwide. He has investigated well-known mummies such as Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Vladimir Lenin, Eva Perón (more commonly known as Evita), and the Medici family.

In 1994, Dr. Brier and a colleague, Ronald Wade, director of the State Anatomy Board of Maryland, claimed to be the first people in 2,000 years to mummify a human cadaver using ancient Egyptian techniques. This research earned Dr. Brier the affectionate nickname "Mr. Mummy" and was also the subject of the National Geographic television special of the same name. He is also the host of several television programmes for the TLC Network including The Great Egyptians, Pyramids, Mummies and Tombs, and Mummy Detective. His research has been featured in Archaeology Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, 60 Minutes and 20/20.

In 1999, Dr. Brier gave a series of 48 specially-prepared lectures entitled "The History of Ancient Egypt" for The Teaching Company. Dr. Brier is a recipient of Long Island University's David Newton award for Teaching Excellence and has twice been selected as a Fulbright Scholar.

From March 24 to April 8, 2006 Brier, along with art historian Patricia Remler, led a group of participants on a tour of the oases of Western Egypt. This tour coincided with the March 29th solar eclipse.

[edit] Published works

In addition to his pioneering research, Dr. Brier has also written several scholarly articles and books, including:

[edit] References and external links