Content Warning: This article includes images of wrapped mummified human remains and discusses body parts. Links may contain images of human remains. Please take care when reading and viewing this content. In recent weeks, international media has reacted to the increasing attempt being made by museums to re-position ‘mummies’, not as spectacles on exhibition, but as real ancient people. One significant move in this re-positioning is abandoning the colloquial term ‘mummy’ in favour of a more humanising description, such as ‘mummified individual’ or ‘mummified human remains’. However, it is not just terminology that is under increasing scrutiny – but the displays themselves. In turn, this has led some museums, including the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, to ask – is there such a thing as the ethical display of human remains, particularly regarding the often-sensationalised mummified people of ancient Egypt? And, if so, how can it be achieved? The Chau Chak Wing Museum currently displays mummified human remains in its Egyptian galleries. Some are wrapped and include CT (Computed Tomography) visualisations of the skeletal and packing materials; others are individual parts of bodies, partially-wrapped or completely…
Remains of Ancient Egyptian People in Museums: Is There Such a Thing as Ethical Display?
March 10, 2023
