Virginia has a seriously impressive secret hiding in plain sight, and it has nothing to do with colonial history or Civil War battlefields. In Virginia, there sits a world-class museum that holds one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts in all of North America.
Mummies, coffins, amulets, and jewelry spanning more than three thousand years of history are waiting just a short drive away. Pack your curiosity, because this is one cultural adventure that will genuinely blow your mind.
Tjeby: The Oldest Mummy in North America
Meet Tjeby, a man who lived more than four thousand years ago and somehow ended up in Richmond, Virginia. He was an Egyptian official whose remarkably preserved mummy is considered one of the oldest in all of North America, and he calls the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts home.
Curators and conservation scientists at the museum have dedicated serious research efforts to understanding Tjeby’s life, health, and burial rituals. Advanced imaging and scientific analysis have revealed fascinating details about how ancient Egyptians prepared their dead for the afterlife…