Manchester Museum has asked visitors if they think that the body of an Egyptian woman should stay on display.
The mummified remains of Asru were unwrapped 200 years ago, with the Egyptian woman living around 700 BCE.
Asru was a High-Status Egyptian Woman
Asru was believed to be around 50 when she passed. She was unwrapped and then put on display at Manchester Natural History Society in 1825. The remains of her, along with two other coffins, were presented to the museum by traders. A panel at the museum has now asked visitors if they should continue to display the body, to make sure that they are always moving with the times, and keeping their collection current.
She has been on display for two centuries now and in that time, the museum has changed quite a lot. Investigation of the Egyptian mummy allowed scientists to understand her health conditions and the life that she led. The remains of Asru and her sarcophagi were once deemed to be antiquities of great importance. Inscriptions indicate that she was a chantress who sang during rituals to Amun. Her mother was Pa-Kush, a document scribe, and her mother was Ta-Du-Amen.
Egypt is a Core Focus of Many UK Museums and Entertainment
As time goes on, more and more museums are making Egypt a focus of their exhibitions. A lot of this comes down to how popular it is in the media right now, which is helping to drive a lot of interest. Hamlet from the Slums, for example, is an Egyptian movie directed by Ahmed Fawzi Saleh and takes inspiration from Shakespeare, but is set in Cairo. Netflix also released their first Egyptian-Arabic language original a couple of years ago.
Games set in Egypt are also rising in popularity. Age of Mythology allows you to choose from Egyptian, Greek, or Norse mythologies, with Egyptian civilisation offering unique units. Even online slots UK showcase Egypt, with titles including Eye of Horus and The Golden Tablet Megaways. Games like this feature gods that include Horus, and various hieroglyphics, that pay homage to the ancient civilisation and the unique elements that help to make it so alluring. It also features historical elements, including tablets, which were often used by Egyptians to write on.
Representations like this, and the sheer popularity of them, help to show how endearing Ancient Egypt is to modern audiences and why so many more museums are using it as a focus for their showcases. Even though more museums across the UK are indeed focusing on Egypt, Manchester Museum wants to make sure that their current collection aligns with their position and that the people of Manchester are happy for the museum to keep displaying the mummy.
It’s possible to give your feedback right now, with museum staff going through every response to make sure that their museum represents not only the views of the people who live in the area, but also those of tourists and people across the UK who might visit. By including the public, it’s a clear sign that they want to curate their collection for the future.
Feature Image Pexels
