Mummies and Pirates and Warriors — oh, my! The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis recently opened National Geographic Treasures of the Earth, an amazing permanent exhibition that is layered with mysteries and real archaeological research. There is no additional charge for this adventure, just step into the “Treasures Transport” to be lowered into the depths of the earth, where you’ll begin your search with the help of trained staff interpreters.
When the doors open, you’ll find yourself in an underground passage leading to a tomb room, the walls decorated with images from the tomb of Seti I, images that no tourists and few scientists have been permitted to see. However, you can touch these walls — and watch modern light magic, reassemble a sarcophagus and use scan technology to see beyond the mummy’s wrap.
Then, you can explore the replicated wreck site of the Cara Merchant, the first pirate shipwreck found in the Caribbean and once commanded by the infamous Captain Kidd. A cannon recovered from the wreck sits in a Wet Lab tank, slowly shedding the encrustations of the sea. What will it reveal? A jumble of silver coins from 1725 and more undersea treasures are on display.
The amazing Terra Cotta Warriors of the First Emperor of Qin also await discovery. In the Dig Pit, scrape away at the “earth” that encases the broken warrior replicas; try your hand at reassembling the pieces to form a full warrior and listen to the story of their discovery as you seek discoveries of your own.