mummies of the world

Yesterday, I attended the Mummies of the World exhibit at the California Science Center. It wasn’t what I expected.
I thought I’d be viewing mostly Egyptian Pharaohs wrapped in cloth and the elaborately-decorated sarcophagus. Turns out it was much more graphic than that. Most of the mummies on display had much of their mummified flesh, hair, and bones all exposed (see pictures, if you dare!), from different parts of the world. There were even mummies of squirrels, cats, baby crocodiles, etc. Here’s a summary of observations, thoughts, etc during the 75 minute exhibit. Much of this is rather self-evident; some of it serves more as a reminder of things.

Differences in physical appearances among different people are overrated. Differences in physical attributes (e.g., skin color, ethnicity, etc.) tend to be exaggerated and exploited by leaders for dumb reasons. A mummy from Peru bears quite a resemblance to a mummy from Eastern Europe, don’t you think?

The significance of cultural relics and their persistence over time. Ancient Egyptians wore amulets around their necks for protection. Today, people wear amulets, charms, etc, to signify something of importance to them, religious reasons, as a fashion symbol, etc
The mummy of a Peruvian woman, who lived over 3,400 years ago, wore tattoos. Symbolic items such as amulets and tattoos seem rather universal among different cultures and still carry its meaning over many, many generations. It’s suggested that the tattoo’s purpose was to ward off evil spirits or protect against illnesses. Today, some people wear tattoos for similar reasons (e.g., “I’m a tough guy, don’t f with me”, aesthetic purposes, etc). I could’ve sworn I saw painted fingernails, too, but not sure if that’s discoloration or actual fingernail paint.

The idea of an afterlife is nearly universal. The Ancient Egyptian mummies were prepared for the afterlife. The Peruvian civilizations believed in good and evil spirits. The mummies of Europe were of Judeo-Christian faiths.

The exhibit was eerily quiet for the number of people that attended. I’m sure some of it was out of reverence for the dead, but I think a lot of was because the mummies reminded us–up close and personal–of our own mortality. Most of the time spent at the exhibit was thinking about how these people lived, and how that differed from the way we live today.

Studying mummies can have other applications such as unlocking clues to diseases. Mummies from the 18th century in Europe are being used today to shed light on the complex history of tuberculosis. How about arthritis/autoimmune diseases, etc?

Cultural anthropology-related questions. What methodology should one use to arrive at objective reality? How does one identify the “webs of significance” (Weber), to understand the subject and its system of symbols using our own lens, not the subject’s? In studying cultures, should the starting point be focusing on similarities than on differences, or the other way way around?

Heard a 5-year old girl ask her mom, “Mommy, is that a mummy? Why doesn’t it move?”. The 5-year old had no concept of what a mummy was, probably couldn’t comprehend the concept of death yet, or that the mummy was over two millennia old. To her, it was nothing more than a pinata at her friend’s birthday party or some tree in her backyard. Lest you develop a superiority complex from reading this, the sophisticated mind of an adult is not without a penchant for greed, genocide, wars, corruption, etc. You would have to wonder how a higher power, extraterrestrial life, etc, may view us?