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The phony "Egyptian mummy princess" that thrilled generations of Mississippi children is on display during the month of October at the Old Capitol Museum.

After being displayed at the Mississippi State Capitol through the 1950s, the dummy mummy was relegated to a storage room when the Old Capitol opened as the new state history museum in 1961.

In 1969, the mummy was found to be a fake, made of wood, nails, newspaper, and animal bones. The deception was discovered by a student at the University of Mississippi Medical School who had been given permission to X-ray the mummy for a class. For the last several years, and to the delight of the public, the dummy mummy has made its return each October at the Old Capitol Museum, where it is prominently featured in the rotunda.

New interpretation tells the story of the artifact, from its acquisition as part of the archaeological collection purchased from Brevoort Butler of Yazoo County in the early 1920s, as well as the efforts of the University of Mississippi Medical School student Gentry Yeatman that led to the discovery of the forgery. At the end of the month, the dummy mummy will be put away under wraps until next fall.

View the mummy free of charge in the Old Capitol Museum, 100 South State Street in Jackson, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information call 601-576-6920 or email info@oldcapitolmuseum.com.