Who owns the museum and its collection?

The museum and collection are owned by the Rosicrucian Order. This fraternal, philosophical organization offers the museum as a gift to the City of San Jose, and the region.

Are the artifacts all real?

Yes, every artifact that is not labeled as a replica is an authentic ancient Egyptian artifact. We do have some casts of ancient artifacts that we use as a part of our educational program, which are all labeled as replicas. There are less than 20 of them in a display of over 4,000 authentic artifacts.

How many artifacts are in the collection of the museum?

There are more than 4,000 authentic ancient Egyptian artifacts in the museum's collection.

Is the entire collection on display?

No. There are a limited number of objects in storage. They are there for conservation, storage, or they are being rotated from one display to another.

Are the mummies real? How many do you have?

Yes, the mummies are real. Four mummies are on display. Mummies of animals are also on display. All were once living beings who were eyewitnesses to history.

Did one mummy have knee surgery while he was alive?

No, the surgery was a repair made on his mummy after he died, but it used the same techniques as modern orthopedic surgeons.

What does the "RC" number mean on the labels in the museum?

These are accession numbers. When an object is accepted into a museum's collection, it is given a number and a file is made for it. RC 1 is the first object collected by the museum. RC 500 is the 500th object collected by the museum.

What is the oldest artifact in your collection?

The oldest is a 1.5 million year old stone hand axe, which is not currently on display. Some of the black-topped Predynastic pottery is over 6,500 years old.