Ancient Lives - reviews of museum's mummy exhibition
British Museum's 'revelatory' mummy show displays a magical art in scientific detail
What you need to know A new exhibition of mummified human remains, Ancient Lives: New Discoveries, opens at the British Museum today. The show presents a collection of ancient Egyptian and Sudanese 'mummies' and reveals recent scientific discoveries about them and the techniques used to preserve them.
The interactive display incorporating images from medical CT scanners and 3D graphics software will allow visitors to view inside the mummies and delve under the wrappings to examine the bodies of eight people who lived in the Nile Valley over a period of more than 4,000 years. Runs until 30 November.
What the critics like"Here is a show to lift the bandages from your eyes," says Rachel Campbell-Johnston in The Times. This revelatory exhibition will tell you all you ever wanted to know about mummies - and perhaps a few things that you might have preferred not to find out.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is "a rigorous, erudite exhibition", an opportunity to get up close and uniquely personal with selected individuals from different classes of society, adults and children, says Alastair Smart in the Daily Telegraph. It removes much of the mystery that has built up around mummification reminding us the ancient Egyptians were humans just like we are.
"It's amazing that any Egyptian mummies have survived to be preserved in the British Museum," and shown in this revelatory exhibition, says Jonathan Jones in The Guardian. It's truly magical art, genuinely uncanny and the closest that humanity has come to conquering death.
What they don't like Alas, the museum's scientific approach means that "much of the magical spookiness that makes mummies so thrilling has been lost", says Alastair Smart in the Daily Telegraph. This is an exhibition that sacrifices the wonder for the drily factual and technical.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Egypt's new capital just a 'massive city for the rich'?
Under The Radar Life is 'trickling' into the city but critics remain unconvinced
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 groundbreaking museum exhibitions to see this spring
The Week Recommends From the impressionists in Paris to Indigenous art in DC
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Legion: life in the Roman army – one of 'the most powerful' British Museum exhibitions
The Week Recommends This 'gripping' new exhibition explores how Rome built its vast empire 'on military might'
By The Week UK Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Drama movies 2024: new films out this year
In Depth Latest reviews include The Boys in the Boat, One Life and Tchaikovsky's Wife
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
The Week Recommends Featuring stylish island resorts, historical properties and wilderness retreats
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Albums of the year: best music of 2023
The Week Recommends A look back at the best pop, rap, jazz, dance, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay review: an institution reinvented
The Week Recommends Traditions are maintained and the tweaks are clever and modern
By Neil Davey Published