Mummies have always been everything to me. I know that might sound weird, but I have been fascinated with the wrapped artifacts since I've been a little girl, or more correctly, intrigued with the scientifically-advanced ancient Egyptian culture, of which mummies, pyramids, sphinxes and temples are a huge part. 

When I was a little girl, my family moved from London to Manhattan. I remember the wonder I felt gazing up at massive skyscrapers that lined the horizon. Mom and Dad loved culture and the arts and made a point of taking us to museums. I am grateful for that.

The American Museum of Natural History was a treasure chest of unique exhibits. I had two favorite displays -- the dinosaur skeleton that stretched across the length of a whole room in the museum and the 'Egyptian room,' as I called it, that housed mummies. 

On my bucket list is a visit back to New York to enjoy the Museum in person and catch up with some old friends. But for now, I'll have to be satisfied with virtual art viewing. I'm an art aficionado and I learned that early on from my Mom and Dad.

I checked the Museum of Natural History and lo and behold, there's a new exhibit March 11-14 -- T-rex-The Ultimate Predator, showing life-sized models, fossils and a dinosaur film. The exhibit is a live one for those lucky enough to live in NY.

The museum will have limited capacity guests due to Covid-19. A stringent policy lists measures the museum is taking during the pandemic, like mask-wearing, social distancing, plexiglass, etc., for in-house visits. Online tours are still offered, too.

The other section that intrigued me was the Egyptian display. As a kid, I recall thinking that the mummies preserved in the boxes seemed small. I wasn't a particularly large child, but I was always observant and it seemed like the adults assigned to the coffins were undersized compared to the older folks who were walking around in the museum.  

Apparently, mummies fuel the imagination of others, too. The artwork on the outside of the coffin held secrets of the preserved individual's life. Today, new technology enables us to look into the past. 

Recent discoveries in Egypt unearthed 3000-year-old mummies and coffiins. The tomb of Queen Neit, wife of King Teti from Egypt's 6th Dynasty, dating 4200 years was unearthed, in addition to ancient games and masks. How ironic that mask-wearing has become a standard so many thousands of years later.

Understanding who came before us opens up a plethora of insight into mankind. Learning about the past is a window into possibilities of the future. There are links between us all. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to evaluate the past--and not repeat mistakes that have the potential of posing threats to civilization as we know it.