The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) will host the Australian premiere of Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives, an acclaimed exhibition from the British Museum, opening on 10 December at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.
In a rare close-up look, Egyptian Mummies will use the latest CT scanning technology and 3D visualisation to take visitors beyond the coffin to uncover what lies beneath layers of history buried for thousands of years. Six mummies who lived and died in Egypt between 3000 and 1800 years ago will be on display alongside almost 200 objects associated with funerary practices and daily life.
Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant, said the exhibition was a new way to explore a topic of interest to all ages.
“These mummies from the British Museum collection have remained wrapped for thousands of years but using cutting edge technology we can reveal for the first time their burial secrets while maintaining their integrity and ensuring their preservation,” said Minister Grant.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres, said the exhibition will be a major drawcard for visitors to Sydney and is a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the lives of ancient Egyptians.
“This summer, visitors to Sydney can journey back in time to Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian Mummies will travel to Australia for the first time, making Sydney the inaugural destination for visitors to meet these individuals and discover more about their stories,” Mr Ayres said.
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) Director, Dolla Merrillees, said the exhibition provided a personal insight into these ancient lives.
“The new techniques used to virtually unwrap the mummies offers unprecedented details about their age, diet and health. Being able to see an individual from the remote past, how tall they were, their skin, their face and hair is a powerful and moving experience.”
“Following the huge success of our most recent summer exhibition, Art of the Brick, which attracted crowds of over 165,000 people, we look forward to Egyptian Mummies being the must-see blockbuster exhibition this summer,” said Ms Merrillees.
Mummies selected from the British Museum collection can be viewed in the exhibition alongside the 3D visualisations, which peel back the layers of history to reveal the age, gender, nutrition, lifestyle and final mummification of each body.
In-depth research also reveals details as significant as the individual’s last meal to mistakes made by the embalmer during the mummification process. From a temple singer from Thebes to a 2-year old Roman child and a priest of Akhmim, these six well-preserved mummies reveal the stories of their lives.
Exhibition details:
What: Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives
When: 10 December 2016 – 30 April 2017
Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007
Tickets on sale from August. For more information see
maas.museum/event/egyptian-mummies
by Arrnott Olssen
Editor Rogue Homme
