Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Enter a Mummy's Tomb

For more than 3,000 years, ancient Egyptians embalmed, preserved and entombed their dead with materials they would need for life in the next world. Offerings to the gods to help ease the deceased person’s passage were often included in tombs.

This exhibition includes 3 human and 16 animal mummies, as well as pottery vessels, jewelry, tools, and other artifacts excavated from Egyptian tombs. Modern noninvasive scanning technologies allow scientists and visitors to explore the mummies’ secrets while preserving their bodies.

Ancient Egyptians believed death marked the beginning of a journey to eternal life

Did you know?

Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history

Look For

An image of seven small human figures. — Decorated shabtis—small human figures placed in a tomb representing a person who would perform a task (such as farming) for the deceased person in the afterlife

An image of facial reconstructions in the Mummies exhibit. — Facial reconstructions, created by scientists working with forensic artists, that give a glimpse at what some of the human mummies on display may have looked like in life

A small package of mummified snake in Mummies exhibit — A mummified snake with a secret inside (hint: Look at the nearby CT scan of the mummy for a clue!)

Things To Do

Investigate the "Mummies Unwrapped" touchscreen interactive to learn all the steps of mummification, from removing the deceased person’s organs to the final decorative touches before burial.
Follow the journey from life to afterlife of a young woman named Tentkhonsu through the intricate paintings covering her 3,000-year-old coffin.
Learn how mummification practices developed through centuries of trial and error in ancient Egyptian society.

Experience More

First Floor | Exhibit

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