Advance Notice. Mummies at the Bowers.

A collection of artifacts from a recently rediscovered mummy site in China is set to go on display this weekend at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and it definitely sounds like it's worth a trip south.

Bowers will be displaying artifacts from a strange European-looking group of mummies that had been living in China's autonomous Xinjiang region hundreds of years ago.

The New York Times did a story about this fascinating group of well-preserved people, who were buried in upside down Viking-style boats in the middle of a Chinese desert. Their boats were decorated with phallic symbols, as was their entire burial ground (see above).

Everything about this story sounds totally fascinating, and Bowers has 150 objects from this colony's mysterious home in the desert on display in their "Secrets of the Silk Road" exhibition opening at 10 a.m. March 27. The museum is commemorating the opening of this exhibit with lectures, calligraphy demonstrations, and tea ceremonies all weekend.

Admission to Bowers can be a bit hefty, with a $20 charge, but if you wait until April 4th the exhibit will be open free of charge as part of the museum's free first Sundays program.

Bowers Museum is located at 2002 N. Main Street in Santa Ana.

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: New York Times