Useful website links
THE PETRIE MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL always plays an important role in the BSS programme. It houses over 80,000 objects from the Nile Valley. Most of these were excavated by William Matthew Flinders Petrie, the ‘father of Egyptian archaeology’, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Petrie became the first Edwards Professor of Egyptology at UCL in 1893 and the college subsequently acquired his collection, which with that of Amelia Edwards formed the basis of the museum as it is known today.
The collection can claim a number of ‘firsts’, among them the first known monumental sculpture, the first calendar and the oldest gynaecological papyrus. It also has the largest collection of Middle Kingdom papyri, the largest collection of weights and the largest collection of Roman mummy portraits outside Egypt. It is uniquely important because much of it comes from documented excavations, providing an unparalleled insight into the way people lived and died in the Nile Valley. This ensures that the Petrie Museum remains a valuable resource for today’s scholars, students and public alike.
The Petrie Museum was the first museum in the world to make its entire catalogue available for study via its online database, which it now offers with two other websites designed for students and researchers (see below). Its commitment to openness and accessibility was publicly recognised by the highly prestigious Museums and Heritage Award for Excellence, which the museum won in 2005. In 2010 the museum was given a much needed revamp.
Recruits to the Friends of the Petrie Museum (see below) are always warmly welcomed. Please contact Chair of the Friends of the Petrie Museum Lucia Gahlin at BSS for further information (bloomsbury@egyptology-uk.com).
BSS students benefit from a unique opportunity to learn from Petrie’s ‘teaching collection’ in the manner he intended. Courses often include exclusive-access visits to the museum and/or object-handling sessions – intimate contact with the material culture of ancient Egypt enriching the entire learning experience.
We recommend you visit:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (UCL)
EGYPT EXPLORATION SOCIETY
SUSSEX EGYPTOLOGY SOCIETY
ANCIENT EGYPT MAGAZINE
