Charlotte Scene: Mummies of the World Unwrapped!

Body of Baroness Schenk Geiern

photo courtesy of Discovery Place

Do you love anything kind of creepy and scary and a big fan of horror-inspired stories be it real-life or fiction? If you are, then walking through a darkly lit hall into a room full of dead people and artifacts may be your best challenge yet! 

Mummies of the World is currently on exhibit at Discovery Place. I had the privilege of personally experiencing the gory and yet same time discovered intricately intriguing details of  a mummified being for thousands of years. Though the faint of heart may easily get creeped out just by the mere sight of looking at dead people, there was more to their stories than meets the eye. Some were actually worth noting and others, hmmm... let's just say leaves little to the imaginations.

Here are some of those that stood out. See if you can find them when you visit:

• Baron Von Holz and Baroness Schenk Von Geiern - They are the only mummies who were discreetly covered. I figured that because of their status when they were alive, respect and modesty is still extended to them even in death. (See picture above)

The Orlovits Family

• The Orlovits Family (Michael, Veronica and Johannes their one year old child) - All three of them wore replicas of the original clothes they were wearing at time of death. Not sure why the original clothing was not preserved but it's intriguing enough to catch my attention.
• High Status Egyptian Male Mummy - This mummy was so well-preserved that even it's manhood and all it's "glory" was perfectly preserved forever! If there was any mummy in that room that caught so much attention and instigated giggles, coy whispers and embarrassed looks from both young and adult visitors, this is your man!

The Detmold child is of course the star of the exhibit being it older than most of the mummies there. Estimated to be 6,500 years old, it outdates every artifact on display. Comes next is the popular Peruvian woman who sits in eternity. Dead but alive with trappings of life from what her past may have been.

Trivia:  I had a notable observation while looking through the glass encasements for the mummies. Apparently a set temperature is maintained for every mummy in that room. You think you can guess what it is? (Check the answer below this post if you can't)

Mummies may look creepy and gory but they tell a story of the past. Like windows to how life was like back then and how such ancient, mystical form of preservation do such marvel to our physical bodies enough to withstand time forever. A treasure to behold by itself and one that should be held in reverence.

Going inside the exhibit hall may be like entering a horror crypt of vampire-blood-sucked victims but that's just the beauty of the exhibit. It gets your attention and makes you wonder!

My personal encounter with a mummy

I believe I was in highschool back in the Philippines. We visited this museum up in the beautiful mountain city of Baguio (summer capital of the Philippines). I can't remember the museum's name now but I do vividly remember them having on display an exposed mummy inside it's old decrepit and opened coffin just laying on the museum floor. Surprisingly, we were allowed to touch the mummy. I was dumbfounded to find that the human skin was as tough as wood and looked and felt like a bark of a tree. The meat inside looked like splinters of wood and the rest of the body took on a dark, blackish color. That experience was one of those I'll never forget. 

After this encounter with the Mummies of the World, I can plainly say... I see dead people! Would you want that too?

Recommendations: Don't bring young kids who are easily scared. Some of the younger kids in the museum that day were freaking out and crying. You don't want to give them nightmares at night unless of course that is your intention! :-)

Trivia answer: 71.5 F, 71.8 F or 72 F

Interesting Stories for your reading pleasure:
Thankful for Muppets, Mummies and Muffins
How to be THANKFUL when you are feeling like a THANKSGIVING GRINCH
Movie Review: The Gang unites, the Muppets is back!

**Discovery Place provided Media passes on this particular event as part of their Media Family day**