Exhibition Overview

The Sphinx
Photography ©2008 Brad Feinknopf

It’s an archaeological adventure! Discover the secrets of a lost civilization using the tools and technologies of modern science. Examine the art and artifacts of ancient Egypt, see an actual mummy and learn about the fascinating work done by today’s archaeologists and other scientists.

Entrance - A Visit to Modern Egypt

A stylized Egyptian street scene transports you to modern Egypt, where you view a video and learn about some of the archaeologists working there today. Examine a large floor map of Egypt featuring geographical data and key archaeological sites, including those of the archaeologists featured in Lost Egypt.

Field Site

Building a pyramid

Explore the tools, techniques, science and technology used at the Lost City of the Pyramid Builders site on the Giza Plateau. Identify material remains, analyze findings and learn about the lives of the pyramid builders. Stories from archaeologists focus on life in the field, discoveries, artifacts and careers.

Sands of Time
Explore how the windy Sahara Desert environment causes archaeological sites to be lost and found by manipulating a fan to bury or uncover a model of the Giza Plateau.

Finding the Site
Find out how archaeologists use both low-tech and high-tech methods to find an archaeological site. Discover the work of Dr. Salima Ikram, Dr. Tosha Dupras and Dr. Sarah Parcak. Play an interactive computer game to see how satellite imaging can be used to uncover long-lost sites.

Camel Pack
Climb aboard a colorful replica of a life-size camel for a photo opportunity. Play a computer game to see if you can pack the right equipment and supplies for an archaeological excavation.

Photography ©2008 Brad Feinknopf

The Lost City Project
Scientists Dr. Mark Lehner and Ana Tavares answer the question, “Who built the pyramids?” Their video stories focus on everyday Egyptians, rather than on the royals for whom the tombs were built.

Archaeological Specialists
Watch a video about some of the specialists who work at the Lost City site including osteologist Jessica Kaiser, archaeobotanist Dr. Mary Anne Murray and ceramicist Dr. Anna Wodzinska.

Pyramid Block Challenge
Move a block to discover the scale of the stones used to build the pyramids and experiment with the ancient Egyptian engineering and technology that may have been used to move them.

Build a Pyramid
Use specially-shaped geometric wooden blocks to understand the architectural and engineering challenges of building a pyramid.

The Archaeological Process
Enter a mock excavation site and explore some of the material remains found in the Lost City site. Three interactive stations focus on pottery, clay seals and animal bones. Learn about the work of Dr. Anna Wodzinska, Dr. John Nolan, and Dr. Richard Redding.


Ancient Egyptian Culture

Sarcophagus of Annie the Mummy

Immerse yourself in the culture of ancient Egypt, learn about Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife, discover funerary artifacts and explore the art and language of ancient Egypt.

The Afterlife in Ancient Egypt
Discover why the Egyptians mummified their dead and explore their beliefs about the afterlife.

Funerary Artifacts
Examine funerary objects of ancient Egypt – canopic jars, ushabtis, statues of Egyptian gods and goddesses and more. Learn about their cultural, mythological and religious significance.

Mummy Display
See an actual Egyptian mummy, and learn the story of who this person was based on forensic evidence.

Sacred Magic
Examine CT scans to study the amulets wrapped within a mummy’s bandages.

Amulet Artifacts
See amulets on display and learn about their cultural and religious significance in life and after death.

Replica of the Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone
Discover a full-size reproduction of the Rosetta Stone, and find out how it unlocked the meaning of hieroglyphics.

Writing Hieroglyphics
Learn about the language of hieroglyphics, and decode an authentic message from ancient Egypt.

Language Artifacts
Study a series of ostraka (notes used by ancient Egyptians) to see the evolution of written language over time.

Egyptian Stories
Using magnetic artwork, decide what modern objects you want to have included in your tomb goods. The resulting wall art relates our cultural beliefs to those of the ancient Egyptians.

Explore Tomb Art
Explore a re-creation of a dark tomb hallway decorated with artwork and hieroglyphics. See photos taken from actual tombs in the Valley of the Nobles, Saqqara and the Valley of the Kings.


Laboratory

Facial reconstructions

Explore how modern science and technology helps us understand human mummies, animal mummies and artifacts from ancient Egypt.

Human Scans
View life-size X-rays and CT scans of mummies. Video interviews with Dr. Jonathan Elias and Dr. Tosha Dupras tell the story of the mummies and explain the science of mummification.

Rapid Prototype of Human Mummy
Discover the first life-size rapid prototype of a human mummy, view smaller versions of mummy prototypes and see a rapid prototype of the skull of the mummy, Djedhor.

Faces of the Past
Examine facial reconstructions of four different human mummies. Dr. Jonathan Elias of the Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium project, “Souls of Chemmis,” is featured.

Animal Mummies
See two animal mummies – a cat and an ibis. A video with Dr. Salima Ikram describes the types of mummified animals used as food offerings, pets, sacred animals and votive offerings.

Animal Mummy Scans
Interpret X-rays of animal mummies to reveal why and how animals were mummified and learn about their importance to the ancient Egyptians.

Ceramic Vessel Artifacts
See a variety of ancient Egypt pottery, learn how it was used and see how the style of the work changed over time.

Reconstructing Artifacts
Piece together three-dimensional pottery puzzles much like real archaeologists reconstruct an object from broken pieces.

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