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UT’s McClung Museum will host Bob Brier, one of the world’s foremost experts on mummies and Egyptology, to lecture on the ancient Egyptian mummification processes at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 21.

The lecture, organized by the East Tennessee Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and the McClung Museum, will reveal why the ancient Egyptians mummified and describe a modern mummification.

Brier, known as “Mr. Mummy,” worked with Ronald Wade of the Maryland State Anatomy Board in 1994 to become the first people in 2,000 years to mummify a human cadaver in the ancient Egyptian style, using ancient tools and materials. The goal of the project was to learn more about the tools and surgical procedures used by ancient embalmers.

Bob Brier, one of the world’s foremost experts on mummies and Egyptology.

Brier and Wade went to Egypt to obtain natron—the dehydrating agent used by the ancient embalmers—along with frankincense and myrrh. Working at the University of Maryland Medical School, the two researchers used replicas of ancient tools to remove the brain through the nose and the internal organs through a three-inch abdominal incision. The project was the subject of a National Geographic television documentary, ‘Mr. Mummy.’ Brier will discuss his findings of his mummification project and how it illuminates the ancient Egyptian knowledge of anatomy and medicine.

The lecture is part of exhibition-related programming for Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt, which runs at the McClung Museum through May 7. The exhibition, which is organized by the Brooklyn Museum, explores the role of cats, lions, and other feline creatures in Egyptian mythology, kingship, and everyday life through nearly 80 different representations of cats from the Brooklyn Museum’s world-famous Egyptian collection.

The McClung Museum is at 1327 Circle Park Drive. Museum admission is free, and the museum’s hours are 9 a.m–5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1–5 p.m. Sundays. Free two-hour museum parking passes are available from the parking kiosk at the entrance to Circle Park Drive during the week. Free parking is available on the weekends. Free public transportation to the museum is available via the Knoxville Trolley Vol Line.

See the museum’s website for more information about family programming, parking, and collections and exhibits.

CONTACTS:

Lindsey Wainwright (865-974-2144, ljwaugh@utk.edu)

Catherine Shteynberg (865-974-6921, cshteynb@utk.edu)