Art Frame: MMFA 2019: Egyptian Mummies

EGYPTIAN MUMMIES:

EXPLORING ANCIENT LIVES

September 14, 2019 – February 2, 2020

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is hosting the North American premiere of Egyptian Mummies, an exceptional exhibition that combines arts and science based on research undertaken by the British Museum. Among a great number of ancient artefacts, it prominently features six well preserved mummies. Until recently, very little was known about who these people were, how they lived, and how they died. Thanks to the latest non-invasive technology, the viewer is transported several thousand years back in time and discovers the identity of these people who lived along the Nile river between 900 BC and 180 AD. The accompanying 240 objects displayed at the exhibition provide additional context about their lives, beliefs and their deaths.

The study of mummies in the past involved removing their multi-layered wrappings. It was a highly destructive process, rejected by the museums. Recently, thanks to the advanced medical imaging techniques, it became possible to study the mummies quite minutely without unwrapping them. The British Museum used three-dimensional CT‑scanning technology to study the mummies displayed at this exhibition.

Co-Curator of the exhibition and Curator of Bioarchaeology at The British Museum, Daniel Antoine explained:

"The latest scanning technology has allowed us to virtually peel away the layers of wrappings so visitors can explore the carefully mummified remains of six unique individuals in unprecedented detail. Without unwrapping their remains, we have discovered new insights into life and death in ancient Egypt, such as the embalming methods used to preserve the bodies and their state of health at death. Using the latest science and technology, we can begin to understand the person behind the mask whilst ensuring their integrity remains."

CT scanners use a combination of x-rays and a computer to create an image. The x-ray beam circles around the body, creating thousands of transversal images. The data is then gathered by cutting-edge software, which creates detailed 3D visualizations that allow to view the mummies' internal structures without the need to unwrap their fragile remains.

These technological advancements and 3 D imaging have clearly revealed the biological information about each skeleton. By using scoring methods developed by forensic archaeologists and physical anthropologists, age at death could be estimated from dental or skeletal development. The scans can also determine the individuals' sex and height, the illnesses they suffered from, and the embalming process used to preserve them. At this exhibition, the results of such scans are projected on a screen, pointing to different areas of interest.

The ancient Egyptians believed that proper treatment of the deceased was of crucial importance for ensuring the continuation of a person's existence into the afterlife. The aim was to preserve the entire body to safeguard it from animals and the elements and to give the person a safe passage into the eternity.

The mummies' examination went hand in hand with other areas of research to determine the type of lives these people lived in order to bring into focus the historical and cultural settings of those past times. The 240 additional objects and 3D digital images reveal the most recent discoveries in Egyptology.

The artefacts that the exhibition presents make the past historical era more vivid and help to immerse the visitors into the Ancient Egiptian setting in which the mummified people on display live. On discovers the old Egyptian writing, habits, believes, objects they used, as well as pictorial images they made which give researchers an additional information about their lives.

Six Mummies, Six Lives

Each former inhabitant of the Nile leads the visitor along a path that retells their unique story. The exhibition is divided into six galleries that explore different themes: the mummification concept and techniques, beliefs and religions, diet and health, family life and cultural diversity.

1 – The exhibition opens with Nestawedjat, a married woman from Thebes whose name means "the one who belongs to the wedjat eye." She was probably between 35 and 49 years old at the time of her death in about 700 BCE and had lived during the so-called Kushite Dynast

2 –Tamut, a middle-aged woman, was for her part a chantress of Amun. Her mummy reveals many amulets that were placed on her skin by the embalmer-priests after applying cosmetic treatments. Tamut lived during the Third Intermediate Period, early 22nd Dynasty, about 900 BCE.

3 –Irthorru was a high stolist priest of Akhmin's temple in charge of dressing the god Min, and was the master of secrets. His mummy bears witness to a life spent in service of the gods as well as the power that priests of his rank held in ancient Egypt. Irthorru was a middle-aged adult (35-49 years) and lived at the Late Period, 26th Dynasty, about 600 BCE.

4 – An unnamed priestess takes us back to the temple of Amun, in Karnak. She appears to have been a singer – a title considered to be highly prestigious from the 22nd Dynasty onwards – and was probably between 35 and 49 years old at the time of her death. She lived during the Third Intermediate Period, 22nd Dynasty, about 800 BCE.

5 – The young boy from Hawara lived during the Roman period. The care with which he was prepared for the afterlife reflects the newly revered place children occupied in Egypt at the time – mummification of children was rare before then. He died around 40-60 CE.

6 – Similar to hundreds of others found in the oasis of Faiyum, the last mummy in the exhibition is decorated with a portrait. His identity is unknown, but on the wooden slab, this young man from Thebes is portrayed with dark curly hair and wide eyes. Research has revealed that he died at about 17 to 20 years of age and lived during the Roman Period, about 140–180 CE.

Educational activities

To cap off the exhibition, an educational space was designed by Perrine Poiron, PhD candidate in History and Egyptology (UQAM and Université Paris-Sorbonne), in collaboration with Ubisoft. In it, visitors can explore ancient Egypt via a digital experience combining the Egyptian Pantheon and rituals observed for passing into the afterlife.