Mummies of the World: The Dream of Eternal Life, the Blockbuster Traveling Exhibit of 2010 Announces Its U.S. Tour

BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ — American Exhibitions, Inc., in
association with the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum of Mannheim, Germany, announced
that the blockbuster exhibit Mummies of the World: The Dream of Eternal Life,
the largest traveling exhibition of mummies and artifacts, will tour science
centers and museums in the United States for a limited three year tour
commencing July 2010.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090128/CLW116 )

“Never in history has there been such an important collection of mummies
and artifacts,” said Marcus W. Corwin, President and CEO of American
Exhibitions, Inc. “This blockbuster exhibit is poised to bring
record-breaking attendance to museums in its limited United States tour.”

Dignified, reverent and scholarly, this unique collection brilliantly
enhances our educational, scientific and cultural landscape, as mummification
provides a window into the lives, history and cultures of every major region
of the world.

“The largest mummy exhibition worldwide will include 70 human, animal and
reptilian mummies gathered from the four corners of the world,” said Dr.

Wilfried Rosendahl, Curator of the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, Mannheim, Germany.
“Visitors will embark on an exciting and historical journey around the globe,
with mummies representing several continents and spanning thousands of years.”

Unlike exhibits which feature only Egyptian mummies, this remarkable and
compelling exhibition demonstrates the different processes of mummification
and serves to educate visitors as to their respective cultures. The
collection includes ancient mummies and important artifacts from Asia,
Oceania, South America and Europe, as well as ancient Egypt, and demonstrates
how mummification can be a natural process; one which occurs in hot, dry
desert sands, in eternal ice, in moors and bogs and even, amazingly, in dry
cellars.

“Using state-of-the-art scientific and forensic research, the secrets of
the mummies are now revealed. Sensational historic research crowns this
impressive multi-media exhibition and affords a fascinating cultural and
historical insight into people from ancient civilization,” said Dr. Heather
Gill-Robinson, renowned anthropologist. “This exhibition offers a unique
opportunity for Americans to learn about the lifestyle, health and culture of
ancient people from around the world.”

Why do mummies of the ancient and modern worlds fascinate us so? “It is
because every one of us shares a yearning for what has come before us,” said

James Delay, Vice President of American Exhibitions, Inc. “Natural
mummification is so rare and is what elevates this exhibition to an
educational level unparalleled to the current scientific and museum arena.”

Mummies are the single direct archive to the human species, the study of
which provides great information and data in the context of archaeology,
anthropology and science. All mummies in the exhibition originate from
established and respected European museum and university collections. The
exhibition was prepared in accordance with all recommendations of the
International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) code of ethics. The exhibition is
presented with respect and dignity, acknowledging the interests of the social,
ethical and religious groups from which the mummies originate.

Mummies of the World: The Dream of Eternal Life is presented by American
Exhibitions, Inc. in association with the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, Mannheim,
Germany. The exhibition is not merely a presentation of mummies; it
originated from the scientific work of the German Mummy Project. The German
Mummy Project is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration of
specialists from 15 different institutes in 7 countries. The U.S. tour shall
be limited to 7 markets for which museums in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago,
Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis have expressed interest. The tour
dates and sponsors shall be announced shortly.

American Exhibitions, Inc. is a producer of museum-quality touring
exhibitions for science centers and museums whose mission is to produce
blockbuster exhibits that physically, intellectually and emotionally excite,
educate and engage those who experience them. As a member of the Association
of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and the American Association of Museums
(AAM), American Exhibitions, Inc. is one of the largest, privately-funded
exhibitioners in the United States. The Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, an
internationally-acclaimed complex in Mannheim, Germany, has been one of the
major venues for exhibitions in Europe in the realms of archeology and world
cultures. With a collection that began in the early 1700′s, the museum houses
over 1.2 million objects in its collection, comprising over 300,000 square
feet of exhibition space.

Please visit www.mummiesoftheworld.com.

SOURCE American Exhibitions, Inc.