The Frost Science Museum is hosting the largest collection of mummies ever assembled as part of its latest exhibition, Mummies of the World: The Exhibition.

Mummies of the World showcases the mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals — including cats, lizards, and falcons. It also includes 80 rare artifacts from across the globe, offering a unique glimpse into past cultures and civilizations dating as far back as 4,500 years ago.

The exhibition reveals the authentic lives of ancient people from around the world, including Europe, South America, and Ancient Egypt. 

Visitors can explore the histories and origins of the mummified remains and how they were created and learn about how mummification occurs both naturally and intentionally.

For fans of Art Deco, this is a chance to explore one of the biggest stylistic influences of the architectural style. Historically, the rise of Art Deco coincided with the opening of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Egyptian design, along with Mayan, Mesopotamian, and African art, greatly inspired the deco designs of buildings, furniture, jewelry, and more.

“This exhibition has proven to be one of the most popular exhibitions traveling the world. It has an engaging way of providing insight into the lives and cultures of these ancient people, which is important because these were real individuals with unique stories,” says Dr. Cassie Freund, director of science communication at the museum.

 “We like to say, ‘Inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told.’ Mummies of the World tells thousands of years of captivating stories. Through modern science and technology, their secrets are now revealed.”

Some of the items featured in the collection include MUMAB, the first authentic replication of Egyptian mummification done on a decedent body in 2,800 years, as well as the mummy of a German nobleman, medical mummies used to teach anatomy in the early 19th century, shrunken heads from South America associated with the Jivaro culture of Ecuador, and Egyptian animal mummies which were preserved to accompany royals for eternity.

The exhibition also dives into the modern science of preserving mummies through methods like computed tomography (CT), DNA analysis, and radiocarbon dating, which allow researchers to learn about the lives, histories, and cultures of these ancient people and animals.

Egyptian sarcophagus

MUMAB, the first replication of Egyptian mummification done on a body in 2,800 years.

Egyptian animal mummies including a cat, falcon, snow rabbit, lizard, weasel and fish, some of which were deliberately preserved to accompany royals in the afterlife.

Mummy of Veronica Olovits. The mummies of her and her family were discovered in a long-forgotten crypt of a small church in Vác, Hungary in 1994.

This spiny-tailed lizard from the Sahara Desert is an example of a modern-day mummy — probably less than 100 years old. It was mummified by the hot, dry air of the desert. Credit: American Exhibitions, Inc.

Mummy masks

Baron Von Holz, a German nobleman found tucked away in the family crypt of a 14th century castle wearing his best leather boots

Mummies of the World: The Exhibition is presented by NEON and World Heritage Exhibitions, LLC. 

The exhibition will be on view from Saturday, May 27, 2023, through Monday, September 4, 2023, inside the Hsiao Family Special Exhibition Gallery on the first floor of the museum.

Admission to Mummies of The World: The Exhibition is included with all museum admission tickets. 

For more information on the exhibition, visit frostscience.org/mummies.