Just days before an exhibit of Chinese artifacts opened at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, officials pulled mummies and other antiquities from public view, as reported by The Associated Press.
The artifacts were part of "Secrets of the Silk Road." The exhibit has already traveled to museums in California and Texas without issue. Visitors to the Philadelphia museum will see a pared-down exhibit.
Penn museum spokeswoman Pam Kosty said she could not offer any more information beyond a statement saying Chinese officials had requested the items not be shown. She declined to identify the officials.
The mummies are particularly fascinating because they have Caucasian features, proving that populations migrated eastward from Europe and brought their customs and skills with them.
Other artifacts include clothing, fabrics, wooden and bone implements, and even preserved foods such as a wonton, spring roll and fried dough.
Original source: The Associated Press
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