Mum's the word for first exhibition in National Museum's new purpose built space

Fascinating Mummies will feature a collection of exhibits dating as far back as 4000 BC

The National Museum of Scotland has announced the first exhibition to be held in a new purpose built exhibition space created during its £47 million refurbishment.

Fascinating Mummies will feature gems from two of the world’s most famous Egyptian collections, dating back as far as 4000BC.

Material from the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the Netherlands, will be complemented by the National Museums Scotland’s own selection of objects, and will include human and animal mummies along with thousands of other objects from ancient Egypt.

Rituals surrounding death and afterlife in ancient civilisation will be explored in the first part of the exhibition, focussing on the Egyptians’ art of mummification. A variety of painted coffins, amulets, jewellery and embalming equipment will show how the process changed over time.

The second part of the exhibition will look at how archaeologists and scholars have uncovered information on ancient Egypt’s approach to death, and more recent state-of-the-art technology, including x-rays and CT scanning, which has allowed scientists to make discoveries avoiding the destructive process of unwrapping mummies.

Commenting on the exhibition, Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: “We look forward to welcoming visitors to the first major international show in our new special exhibitions space. I am delighted that our strong international links have enabled us to secure this exhibition for its only UK showing, and that it gives us the opportunity to showcase hidden treasures from our own collections.

“Fascinating Mummies will feature remarkable displays of Egyptian material, as well as amazing insights into how modern science can cast light on to the ancient world.”

Central to the display will be the mummy of Ankhhor, which has never been unwrapped or subject to intrusive research, though has been examined using CT scans to discover information about his age, health and how he was mummified. These revelations have built on what was known from hieroglyphs on the three coffins of the priest, who served in the temple of the god Montu in Thebes (modern Luxor) around 650 BC.

Other aspects of the show include DNA investigation of a burial group from Qurneh, excavated by the archaeologist Flinders Petrie in 1908, the examination of mummified animals, which were considered as sacred deities, and the exploration of mummies in modern history.

The exhibition will take place from February 11 to May 27 with admission costing £9 for adults, £7.50 for concessions, £6 for children and £26 for families (two adults and two children).

The next RBS Museum Lates event will also be held during the exhibition.

IN DETAIL

Programme announced for the next RBS Museum Lates event

National Museums Scotland
http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/news/arts-culture/24888-mums-the-word-for-first-exhibition-in-national-museums-new-purpose-built-space/