“Years ago, mummy “unrollings” were acts of archaeological vandalism, conducted like dramatic performances in front of high-society fee-paying audiences. Now, by a fusion of advanced computer technology and state-of-the-art medical scanning techniques, we can sit in a darkened, air-conditioned “immersive theatre” in the British Museum, put on a pair of 3D glasses and penetrate a mummy’s secret layers, one by one, without destroying a fibre of bandage, without even opening the spectacular painted coffin case. Wood, linen, tissue, bone… we can slice through them all like forensic scientists, like pathologists. It’s quite a project.”