MOBILE, Ala. — More than 100 ancient Egyptian artifacts — including mummies, painted sarcophagi, funeral trousseau, and votive objects — went on display at the History Museum of Mobile as the touring exhibition “Egyptian Mummies and Eternal Life” made its American debut.
The exhibition, on view from February 26 through June 27, arrived in Mobile after earlier stops in Europe, Asia, and Canada. It was organized by Contemporanea Progetti of Florence, Italy, in collaboration with the National Archeological Museum of Florence, and presented locally by the J. L. Bedsole Foundation with additional support from Thompson Engineering and Trustmark Bank.
Artifacts spanning 2,000 to 4,000 years
Every artifact in the show is an original — no reproductions — ranging from roughly 2,000 to 4,000 years old. Organizers arranged the pieces thematically around a single idea: that Egyptian funeral rituals, even those that can seem macabre to modern eyes, were designed not merely to preserve the body but to guarantee the continuation of life beyond the grave. The displays walk visitors through how mummification and entombment prepared the deceased for the afterlife in the tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt.
Planning a visit during the pandemic
Because the exhibition opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum operated under capacity restrictions. It was open seven days a week — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays — with free admission on the first Sunday of each month.
Museum officials asked visitors to reserve a timeslot in advance for free Sundays, since demand was high; the March free Sunday had already filled shortly after tickets were released. Reservations were handled through the museum’s Facebook page.
For Mobile, hosting the American debut underscored the downtown museum’s growing reputation for landing internationally organized exhibitions — a rare chance for Gulf Coast residents to see authentic ancient artifacts without leaving Alabama.