The
Manchester Museum on the campus of the University of Manchester (England) has
one of the best displays of Egyptian mummies in the world. The museum has two
ancient Egypt galleries: Daily Life and Death and the Afterlife. Both are definitely a must-see for a number of reasons.
First, a display of the mummy Asru, a chantress at the Temple of Amun in
Karnak, has been installed. Asru
takes her place along with at least eight other mummies (according to one
account, the museum holds eighteen mummies,
though they are not all displayed). The museum has thoughtfully provided clear
labels with detailed information about each mummy.
Second, many of the mummies on
display have been studied and written about in depth. For example, Asru is
featured in the book Conversations
with Mummies by
Manchester Museum's former Keeper of Egyptology Rosalie David. Reading about
Asru, her
life, her death, and the thorough analysis that her mummy received before
visiting the museum helps bring her mummy back to life during a visit. I highly
recommend the book (even if you can't get to Manchester), because Asru and a
number of other featured mummies in the book are worth getting to know. For
example, another pair of mummies mentioned in the book are the two brothers, who
were not genetic brothers at all. One of the brothers, now a skeleton, is
displayed in the museum.
Finally, the museum
displays many, many artifacts from Egypt including a reed basket used for
burial, colorful canopic chests, and a pretty sensational carved wooden coffin for a
cat mummy.
If you are flying to the UK,
Manchester Airport can be reached nonstop from many U.S. cities. You can check
air fares and hotels at Travelocity.com:
