Egyptian Mummified Remains in Museums

Egyptian Mummified Remains in Museums: Rethinking Terminologies and Modes of Display

LeidenGlobal, in collaboration with the National Museum of Antiquities, presents a new public series building on Leiden's extensive knowledge of global themes that shape our world. Each dialogue features two researchers providing a brief introduction to the background of the topic, followed by an interactive knowledge exchange and a Q&A with the audience.

Background: Mummified human remains from Ancient Egypt are among the most popular objects in museums worldwide. They capture the imagination in science, education, and popular media, but simultaneously raise fundamental social, ethical, and political questions. How do you display human remains in a way that not only informs but also challenges? And is it possible for museums to effectively present the humanity of the deceased?

Pansee Abou ElAtta (NINO Visiting Research Fellow) and Daniel Soliman will discuss these questions with each other and the audience. Through short presentations and open dialogue, they will explore how museums have historically collected, classified and presented human remains, moderated by Timo Epping (National Museum of Antiquities).