Mummies of the World, an exhibition currently at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, is an absolute must-see. I know, because I went to see it last month.
Highlights:
1. A mummified howler monkey from South America, eerily decorated with a garland of flowers;
2. The body of a child, from one of the first Christian civilizations in Egypt;
3. The woman from the Andes with mysterious tattoos on her face and body;
4. The remains of an 18th-century German baron and baroness, who were naturally mummified in the family tomb, and whose descendants donated their ancestors to the exhibit for study;
5. Bodies ceremonially sacrificed to the bogs of Ireland and The Netherlands, which I find endlessly fascinating.
If you're squeamish about dead children or fetuses, as Tony and I found ourselves to be, be warned that this exhibit contains several. Don't miss out because of it, though; just pass by the cases quickly.
Entry to the exhibition is timed on the half-hour, to prevent too many people from rushing in all at once. Tony and I hung back at the beginning of the exhibit and let most of the crowd filter past us. This helped our views of the cases in the long run. Before entry, the audience sees a short film, about three minutes, that introduces the history of the mummies in the exhibit, and also provides a crash course in "mummy ethics;" the statement can be found on the exhibition website: "[we] demand that human remains are treated with respect and dignity, taking into account the interests and beliefs of the social, ethical and religious groups from which the human remains originate."
Basically, remember that the bodies you're looking at were once living, breathing people; don't be an asshole. And no photos or videos allowed.
Tickets can be purchased online at the Franklin Institute's web site, or at the museum the day of your visit.
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