Caress the pharaoh. The tactile reproduction of Ramses II's “mummy” in the Sapienza University Museum of the Near East, Egypt and Mediterranean

Abstract

The goal of the project accounted in the present article was to produce a perfect replica of the “mummy” of Pharaoh Ramses II with organic and sustainable materials and to let it be displayed without a showcase and even touched by visitors in a museum. The replica was produced by an integrated team of experts through 3D modeling and handcraft. The “mummy” was the core of the exhibition entitled “The mummy of Ramses. The immortal pharaoh” visited by more than 5000 people for four months (68 opening days). The interaction of visitors with the touchable embalmed body was thus studied, as well as the preservation state of the recreated mummified skin. The results of such an experience are illustrated hereby.