By 1808Delaware, COSI Release
Delaware Countians will be a bit closer to the sands and scenes of Egypt this year when a unique and powerful exhibit opens at Columbus’ Center of Science and Industry (COSI).
‘Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures’ will be joining the epic lineup of traveling exhibitions COSI has brought to central Ohio over the years. The exhibition will open to guests starting this Saturday, March 18.
100 years ago, British archaeologist Howard Carter exclaimed, “I see wonderful things!” as he pushed a candle through a hole in the antechamber of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, who died more than 3,000 years ago. After five years of painstaking and initially fruitless excavation work in the Valley of the Kings, and shortly before the abandonment of the dig, the British archaeologist made a discovery that remains unparalleled to this day: a virtually intact pharaoh’s tomb with all its treasures.
The reproduction of the burial treasure, in its original archaeological context, provides an insight into the historically unique discovery of the Pharaoh’s tomb in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. With 1,000 objects, graphics, movies and an audio guide, the monumental complete context is presented in an educational, exciting and entertaining way. Six and a half million visitors have seen the exhibition so far in cities ranging from Zurich to Munich, Madrid, Budapest, Dublin, Brussels, Paris and Seoul.
To achieve this exhibition idea, the use of replicas was inevitable in order to protect the fragile originals, and because of the vast profusion of objects. The burial goods have been reproduced exactly down to the finest detail by Egyptian craftsmen in consultation with Egyptologists – the completeness of the collection is unique in the world. ‘Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures’ allows a wide audience to access the fascinating world of the pharaohs without compromising the millennia-old originals.
“The significance of bringing this exhibition to Central Ohio cannot be overstated. This great, ancient African civilization has been a science, engineering and technological inspiration for past generations and will continue to inspire countless more for future millennia,” said Dr. Frederic Bertley, president & CEO of COSI. “The fact that we will have this iconic Egyptian exhibit during the 100th year of the discovery of the Boy King’s Tomb is just the icing on a celebratory cake for our entire nation. ‘Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures,’ truly personifies our mission to engage, inspire and transform lives. We look forward to welcoming local, national and international guests to the number-one science museum in the country as we prescriptively, and in unparalleled fashion, deliver on our mission.
For more information, visit COSI.org/KingTut.
Photo: Courtesy of COSI
