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UPCOMING
EXHIBIT
- Mummies of the
World:
- The Dream of Eternal Life
Starting in 2010, Mummies
of the World: The Dream of Eternal Life--reportedly the largest
mummy exhibit ever mounted--will begin its seventy-mummy, seven-city, and three-year tour of
the United States. The specific venues and dates have not yet been announced,
but they will be posted here as soon as information is available. Possible
cities include Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and
St. Louis.
This exhibit will include mummies
(both human and animal) and artifacts from Asia, Oceania, South America,
Europe, and ancient Egypt.
A particularly noteworthy fact is that
the exhibit is based on the work of the German Mummy Project, a
consortium of well-respected scientists and researchers from fifteen European institutions. The
exhibit originated at the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum in Mannheim, Germany, where it
was called "Mumien: Der Traum vom ewigen Leben." The United
States version of the exhibit will be somewhat different (some mummies have been
added, others removed), but it will be
larger than the original and display many more mummies from around the world.
One of the exhibit's goals is to show how
mummification is a completely natural process, occurring in hot desert sands,
ice, bogs, and many other (sometimes amazing) places.
Another goal, according to the press release,
is to make sure that the exhibit "is
presented with respect and dignity, acknowledging the interests of the social,
ethical and religious groups from which the mummies originate." To this
end, the exhibitors have carefully adhered to the recommendations of the
International Council of Museums' code of ethics.
A third goal is to place the
scientific study of mummies at the center of the exhibition. This is not an
exhibit for gawkers, but really for students and teachers; it is a
once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity for children and adults . Since many
mummies have been removed from display in the U.S. (yes, even the Egyptian
mummies at the Smithsonian are gone), this exhibit provides an excellent
opportunity to see this special collection of diverse mummies, learn about their
cultures, and understand how scientists have studied them to gain more knowledge
about the past.
The exhibit's
website will feature further information in the coming months.
Included in the
exhibit:
...a rare 19th Century Friar from
the catacombs of the Capuchin
Monastery in Palermo, Italy.
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