Bronze cat. © Trustees of the British Museum.
Alastair Smith shaves off an eyebrow and walks like an Egyptian down to the Hancock.
Brave explorers and code breakers should head to the Hancock Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne to find out how ancient Egyptians lived and what happened to them after they died.
The new exhibition, Egypt Revealed: Life & Death in Ancient Egypt – presented in partnership with the British Museum – contains many fascinating artefacts which shed light on the beliefs of a civilisation. It will run until April 23, 2006.
Displays of mummified animals and live scorpions, scarab beetles and snakes show the importance of animals to the Egyptians; who gave them spiritual significance and even shaved off an eyebrow as a mark of respect to a dead pet. The scarab was often used in amulets and scarab shaped stones were placed on the heart at the time of burial to encourage it to be kind in the spirit world.
This was vital to anyone wishing to enter the afterworld as Egyptians believed they were judged during the ‘weighing of the heart’. This ritual performed by the gods aimed to balance the heart against the feather of Ma’at to decide whether the deceased was just.
Mummy of a young boy with portrait panel. © Trustees of the British Museum.
Other exhibits include mummies and papyrus fragments from the Book of the Dead which contained spells and instructions to help people to the afterlife.
Egyptians even had small models of servants, or Shawabti, made to do their work after they had died – a selection of which are on display in the exhibition.
Alongside the displays on death and funerary rituals are jewellery and artefacts showing how the ancient Egyptians lived.
Rather than wine, poor Egyptians drank beer, made using stale bread instead of hops and ate a variety of vegetables.
Models of houses and a granary show the way buildings may have looked - often having several storeys, whilst grain from the granary would also have been taken in lieu of taxes which were recorded on pottery fragments.
Rameses II. © Trustees of the British Museum.
The exhibition also explores the role of the many gods and pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Statues of the pharaohs indicate their power and influence – we learn that Rameses II commanded armies at the age of ten and fathered more than 100 children by eight wives and 100 concubines!
“While the pyramids, temples, mummies, hieroglyphs and Tutankhamen’s treasure tell us a lot about ancient Egypt they only provide part of the picture,” said Steve McLean, curator of the Hancock Museum. “This exciting exhibition will give visitors the chance to see what life was like for everyday people living in ancient Egypt.”
“Exploring Egyptian society, the Nile, religion, mummification, the afterlife and hieroglyphics,” he continued, “Egypt Revealed explores the myths and mystery surrounding one of the world’s most intriguing civilisations.”
Young visitors can also enter a prize draw for some Egyptian themed goodies by deciphering a hieroglyphic code hidden in the exhibition leaflet.
Egypt Revealed is the last major exhibition at the Hancock Museum before it closes next year as part of the Great North Museum development. The exhibition is supported by Tyne & Wear Museums’ Business Partners and is at the Hancock until 23 April 2006.
Alastair Smith is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer in the North East region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
