Penn Museum unwraps mystery of mummy conservation

A museum in Philadelphia is unwrapping the mystery of mummy conservation.

The newly installed Lab at the Penn Museum allows visitors to peek behind the scenes as staff members preserve from .

Human and animal mummies, as well as an intricately inscribed coffin, are among the items undergoing treatment and repair.

Museum officials say the glass-enclosed workspace allows the public to share researchers' sense of wonder and the thrill of discovery.

Flat-screen monitors display magnified images of what staff members are working on. Conservators will also set aside time twice a day to answer visitors' questions.

The archaeology and anthropology museum's 42,000-piece Egyptian collection is among the largest in the U.S.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Citation: Penn Museum unwraps mystery of mummy conservation (2012, October 22) retrieved 18 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2012-10-penn-museum-unwraps-mystery-mummy.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Rare Egyptian scrolls found in Australian collection

0 shares

Feedback to editors