Episode 16: Learning More About Mummies Through Current Exhibits
Ii-wey! Earlier this month, an ancient black sarcophagus was dug up in Alexandria and was reported in the news this past week. The find naturally gave to speculation of who or what might be in the granite box because it was reported that the seal had not been broken. Historical figures such as Alexander the Great, Cleopatra and Ramses II (you’ll understand this if you have read Anne Rice’s The Mummy or Ramses the Damned) were mentioned as possible occupants. While one agency has reported the coffin has been opened, until the reputable news agencies have collaborated the report, I thought it would be worthwhile to summarize a few mummy exhibitions that will enlighten and educate.
Belgium
Bruges
Mummies in Bruges: Secrets of Ancient Egypt
March 31, 2018 – November 11, 2018
Oud Sint-Jan Exhibition Centre / XPO Center
Website (here)
Description: This is an impressive exhibit with over 200 objects, including nine human and animal mummies. The items are on loan from the National Museum of Antiquities (Leiden, NL). The exhibit includes a mixture of informative panels and videos explaining the funerary rituals and the ancient Egyptians belief in the afterlife.
Canada
British Columbia - Victoria
Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs
May 18, 2018 – December 31, 2018
Royal British Columbia Museum
Curators: Christian Tietze and Christian Bayer
Website (here)
Description: The exhibit includes 300+ artifacts that present a picture of ancient Egyptian life up to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. Highlights include a beautifully carved bust of Hatshepsut, models of temple complexes, examples of false tomb doors, the coffin of Nakht, and interactive displays.
Cost (Adult): $26.95
United States
California – Los Angeles
Passing Through the Underworld: Egyptian Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
March 20, 2018 – December 8, 2018
Vincent Price Art Museum
Website (here)
Description: This exhibition provides insights in the funerary practice and the ancient Egyptian mythology of the underworld, so artifacts include sarcophagus, a mummy, and tomb items that enlighten the viewer of the rituals and beliefs of the spirit’s journey to the afterlife.
Cost (Adult): Free
California – San Francisco
The Future of the Past: Mummies and Medicine
May 14, 2016 – April 7, 2019
Legion of Honor Museum
Curator: Renee Dryfus
Website (here)
Description: Using an interdisciplinary approach and advanced scientific technology, this exhibition highlights the lives of two individuals from ancient Egypt’s past. Irethorrou was a priest whose body was well preserved, while in contrast, a woman given the name Hatason, was not as well preserved. “Visitors can examine both mummies by means of an interactive virtual dissection table” according to the exhibition website.
Cost (Adult): $15.00 (members are free)
Illinois – Chicago
Mummies
March 16, 2018 – April 21, 2019
The Field Museum
Website (here)
Description: Presented in English and Spanish, this exhibit features over a dozen mummies from Peru and Egypt. The goal of the exhibition is to highlight the similarities and differences between the two ancient cultures, which has been gathered through advanced technologies, such as CT scanning, which is non-invasive.
Cost (Adult): Scaled pricing; discovery pass that included one ticketed exhibit is $32.00
Senebti!
Image from the Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs’ exhibit at the Royal British Columbia Museum
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