'Mummies' complements Indiana Jones

Both “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs” opened in late May. “Indiana Jones” is showing at various theaters, and “Mummies” can be seen at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego.

Both movies are about archaeological quests. The two films, however, complement each other rather than compete against each other. While the archaeologists in “Mummies” don’t face hostile foreign agents or protective natives, the adventure still exists.

There are no enhancements in “Mummies,” although the scenes were recreated in Morocco rather than in Egypt. The documentary is also subject to post-filming updates which complete some of the mysteries not solved prior to production, and the time limits of the film force a focus on certain elements rather than allow for a comprehensive story.

The pharaohs of ancient Egypt sought immortality, not only with a transition into their next life but also through recognition by subsequent generations. Rameses the Great achieved much of his immortality from Judeo-Christian bibles courtesy of his confrontation with Moses.

The various plagues along with the loss of the country’s cheap Jewish labor resulted in some bad economic times following that showdown, and the workers who buried pharaohs knew how much gold was in the tombs and where those tombs were.

Although pharaohs were revered as gods, their tombs were often raided. Eventually the Egyptian priests protected the pharaohs themselves by moving their caskets to a publicly-unknown location.

Tomb-raiding skills would come in handy for archaeologists, as 19th-century tomb raiders utilized rare rainfall (and subsequent absorption discrepancies) to determine whether something more than nature might be underneath a sand dune.

When relics began appearing at markets, the archaeologists used bribery and blackmail to learn where the traders obtained those items. In July 1881 a cache of mummified pharaohs was found, and Rameses the Great was among them.

Mummification survived the Greek and Roman domination of Egypt but fell out of style after paganism was replaced with Christianity and Islam. The secret of how mummies were preserved was unknown. The discovery of hieroglyphic hints in the 1990s led to mummification of a body donated to science in an effort to replicate the ancient Egyptians’ success in preserving bodies.

A secondary mission involved analyzing the evolution of malaria strains. The DNA taken from mummies included DNA from malaria infections, and the hope is to provide an eventual vaccine against the disease. That will be performed in laboratories which lack the excitement of an Indiana Jones movie, but the work could produce a payoff the magnitude of an action movie find.

“Mummies” carries the interest and excitement of an Indiana Jones movie. The action is less frequent but still present, and the educational aspects go beyond basic knowledge of ancient Egypt or the Biblical book of Exodus.

True archaeology can be tedious until a find is made. Indiana Jones makes the profession seem more exciting, and in so doing he spurs audience interest in the field. “Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs” continues where Indiana Jones left off.