Fun in Ancient Egypt

Approaching the topic of fun in the ancient world is incredibly difficult but allows us the opportunity to explore the intimate lives of ancient people. Why and how people have fun reveals much about the society that they lived in and helps us to understand the stresses and anxieties that would have played on their …

Object Study: A Peculiar Mummiform Figure

This is my last post of my series 'Egyptian Society and Culture' as my module has now finished. I have found studying Egypt immensely interesting and has broadened my viewpoint considerably. This post is an object study of a strange object in the British Museum.  The object can also be viewed here. EA63979                                                               1936,0711.3 Dimensions: …

Justice in Egypt

This week’s task is as follows: “You have been provided with a translation of a papyrus known as the Slave Sale Papyrus, dating to the early 19th Dynasty translated by Dr Nicky Nielsen. Read the text carefully and provide an overview of the court-case – who is suing whom and why? Who are the main …

Cross Cultural Connections in Ancient Egypt

My next task is to answer the question ‘“Egypt as a society was strongly xenophobic” Do you agree or disagree with statement? Provide evidence for your argument?’ I would argue that the reality is more complicated than saying whether the entirety of Egyptian society was xenophobic. The surviving evidence we have comes from a limited …

Decolonising Egyptology

This week I am tasked with answering this question: In what ways do you think Victorian social standards and taboos have influenced the study of Pharaonic Egypt? And do you think we have entirely moved past that in the modern age? When discussing the Victorian social standards, it is always important to consider the impact …

Object Study: A Wooden Mirror in the British Museum

The next task was to undertake an object study of an item in the British Museum that may be considered a child's toy.  3. EA26336 1890,0530.1 Dimensions: (LxWxH): 27.3cm x 16.1cm x 2.76cm. Site: Thebes. Context: Not known; purchased by Rev. Greville Chester in 1890. Date: Archaic. Material: Wood. Description: The only image available for …