Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine July 3, 2010

'Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine' explores the modern scientific examination of mummies providing new insights into the conditions under which the Egyptians lived, bringing us closer to understanding who they were. The exhibition is a homecoming celebration marking the return of Irethorrou, the Fine Arts Museums' mummy who has been on loan since 1944. CT-scans done by scientists at Stanford Medical School shed light on Irethorrou's physical attributes and cause of death. The scans provide depth and scientific background to the exhibition and contribute to a three-dimensional "fly through" of the mummy and a forensic reconstruction of his head. The exhibition also includes a variety of ancient artifacts that date from approximately 664-525 B.C., the Late Period from the 26th Saite Dynasty.