Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History is famous for containing over twenty million specimens, but putting only a small number of them on display at one time. Home to the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus in the world, as well as a large collection of Native American artifacts, the museum “has opened a rare display of mummies from its own collection.”

Twice put to rest – no pun intended – the mummies were last seen by the public in 1893, at the World’s Columbian Exposition. The Field Museum acquired many of them at this time.

Until now, fear of damaging the mummies has prevented further studies to be conducted on them. But just last week, the exhibit called Opening the Vaults: Mummies opened – featuring mummies not only from Egypt, but also, interestingly, from Peru.

And while many mummy exhibitions can be a letdown, this one will include complete humans and animals. With some “displayed in their original 19th century cases” and some being over five thousand years old, this is one mummy exhibition not to miss.

For visitors on cheap flights to Chicago, the exhibition will run through April 22.

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Source: CBS News
Flickr Photo Credit: mamamusings