Feature: "Mummies of the World" comes to Southern California

The world's renowned mummy show "Mummies of the World" is unveiled at Bowers Museum in California Friday.

The exhibition portrays both natural and intentional mummification, including ancient mummies dating back to as far as 4,500 years.

The exhibition is the largest of real mummies and related artifacts ever assembled. It features a group of fascinating mummies and artifacts of world-renowned museums, organizations and collections from Europe, South America and Ancient Egypt.

"This is the largest exhibition of mummies in the world, with over 40 mummies from 12 countries. People will see mummies from different countries such as Hungary, the United Kingdom and South African countries," said Anne Shih, chairwoman of Bowers Museum.

"Mummies of the World" is a fascinating mix of old and new, which bridges the gap between past and present. Inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told. Through modern science and technology, their secrets are now revealed.

One of the newest mummies was made in 1994 in Maryland. Ronn Wade, director of State Anatomy Board of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was one of the professors who made the mummy.

"What we have here is a replication of Egyptian mummification. It's the first attempt at Egyptian type of mummification in about 1,800 years. What we did is we have someone died and donated the body for medical study. And much of what we do deal with the preservation of human remains, so what we want to do is to replicate the same process the Egyptian use to produce their mummies," said Wade.

Mummies have quite different stories. "We found mummies in China where they were buried in the ground. They weren't embalmed necessarily. But the environment was right that the body didn't decay necessarily and naturally preserved itself. So you know it depends upon what the situation is, Wade told Xinhua.

"Egypt is hot and dry and aired. And there's less bacteria that can grow. There's no moisture. But in a situation like in China, where the body was clothed, the earth and the environment are correct enough, the bacteria won't proliferate either," Wade explained.

A set of three Hungary family mummies are one of the specialties?? of the exhibition. They were found in 1994 in the Dominican Church of Vác in Hungary. Scientists later found they were dad, mom and child of a Hungary family who suffered from tuberculosis before died in 18th century.

"They are natural preservation. So these bodies were not meant to actually be preserved like the Egyptian mummies. These were just laid because they were deceased. In a funeral, laid them down and they (were) preserved just by chance. So what's unique about these is that the disease they had is also preserved. Then we can study and learn more about it," said James Schanandore, associate lecturer at University of Wisconsin.

Through modern science and technology, engaging interactives and multimedia exhibits, the exhibition reveals how the scientific studies of mummies provides a window into the lives of ancient people from different region of the world. It offers unprecedented insights into cultures and civilizations in the past.

"'Mummies of the World' is an incredible glimpse into the fascinating mummification process that occurs in nature and the history of science, anatomy and medicine. This stunning collection has so much to teach us about people and cultures that once thrived. The Bowers is honored to bring such an exciting, unique and educational experience to Orange County for the first time," said Peter Keller, president of Bowers Museum.

The three-month exhibition will also have on display Egyptian animal mummies including a falcon, a fish, a dog and a baby crocodile, many of which were deliberately preserved to accompany royals for eternity. Endit