The651.com

Yes, we’ve all marveled over the ancient Egyptian mummy in the Science Museum of Minnesota’s permanent collection. As kids, we were delightfully freaked out by him; as adults, totally fascinated. And just in time for Halloween, St. Paul’s resident Mummy will go under the scanner so we can learn even more about him

In 1925, the Science Museum received the mummy as a gift via private collectors Mr. and Mrs. Simon P. Crosby. The couple had brought him back from Egypt where mummies were often sold, strangely enough, as souvenirs. Mr. Crosby was quoted as saying, “every reputable museum needs a mummy.”

This week, the mummy is set to undergo a full body scan at the Children’s Hospital which hopefully will produce a 3-D rendering of the mummy’s inner workings, revealing new clues about his life, age and cause of death.

The 18th Dynasty mummy’s initial scan happened in 1983 originally showed that all internal organs except the heart had been removed during the mummification process, a practice that was commonplace. Rumor and research has it that the museum’s mummy was actually a priest due to the shaved head, calloused feet (priests often walked barefoot) and smooth hands that showed no signs of intense manual labor. Considering technology has grown by leaps and bounds since 1983, odds are the new examination will turn up many more interesting tidbits.

The Science Museum archaeology and exhibit development staff plan on creating “interpretative tools” based on the scan’s findings that will be made available in the coming months, leading up to the February 18th opening of the Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs exhibition.

The mummy goes in for his scan on October 29th, but you can visit him at the museum any other day during museum hours. Stop by this Halloween season and pay homage to one of horror’s favorite subjects and learn a thing or two while you’re at it! For more info visit www.smm.org.