Mummy expert Salima Ikram will speak at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture on Tuesday, October 15.
The presentation is part of the museum’s fiftieth anniversary celebration.
Ikram, professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and director of the Animal Mummy Project, will present “An Eternal Zoo: Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies.” The event begins at 7:30 p.m. in the McClung Museum auditorium. It is free and open to the public.
Animal mummies reflect the ways in which the Egyptians interacted with the animal world. Even today, they influence how people view the ancient Egyptians as well as contemporary thought and art.
Ikram will explain the different types of animal mummies, how they were made, the reasons for making them, and the theological and aesthetic decisions that went into their packaging. She also will discuss animal mummies in the McClung Museum’s collections.
The McClung Museum’s fiftieth anniversary lecture series brings worldwide experts to speak on topics related to the museum’s collections and exhibitions. The next lecture is Marc Spencer, vertebrate paleontologist and dinosaur specialist, on October 27.
The McClung Museum, 1327 Circle Park Drive, is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Free two-hour museum parking passes are available from the parking information building at the entrance to Circle Park Drive. Parking passes are not needed on the weekends.
For more information about the McClung Museum and its collections and exhibits, visit the website.
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CONTACTS:
Catherine Shteynberg (865-974-6921, cshteynb@utk.edu)
Christina Selk (865-974-2143, cselk@utk.edu)