The British Museum • Departure from Life
Last time we shared with you the galleries on the first floor of the British Museum. The collection here is massive and it is impossible to see everything. If you are visiting the museum it is advisable to plan which galleries artifacts you would like to spend most of the time with. If you have no agenda you would simply breeze through the galleries and miss out on some of the highlights of the museum.
This time let us share with you the the second floor of the museum. If you are fascinated with mummies, mystery, and wonders. This floor contains a surprisingly large collection of mummies from ancient Egypt. Come join us as we share with you more artifacts from the ancient world.
Ancient Egypt
Egyptian Life and Death
Located in room 65 we have some figurines with carved hieroglyphics. These are figures of Nubian Shabtis which are known to be servants of the royalty that has been mummified. They are said to still work for their master in the afterlife. You may notice that some are holding tools.
This is the remains of a young adult in a coffin made from rough planks of wood. You may notice that there are charred bandages along with the remains. It would be hard to determine the story behind this coffin and why were the bandages burned.
More skeletal remains are on display in this gallery. This artifact is very interesting these two skeletons were found along with 14 arrowheads. It had multiple cuts in their bones. Could they have been executed or murdered?
This artifact is called the Gebelein man. It was perfectly preserved because he was buried in hot sand. Along with the remains are jars and objects that are used for the afterlife. You may also notice a stab wound on the shoulder blade. It is an indication that he may have died violently.
This wooden figurine of a papyrus boat and its crew are found in a tomb. I am unsure but it could have been included also to serve its master in the afterlife. The boat on the left is a replica of the original which has been destroyed.
Mummies
Room 63
As soon as we entered the room we felt this sudden chill on the sight that came before us. It was interestingly frightening at first seeing the massive amount of remains in the room. It felt like a tomb but with the remains on display in glass.
One of the highlights in this gallery is the Inner coffin of Hornedjitef from 240 BC. Intricately decorated with a winged scarab it is made from wood, gold, and plaster.
CT scan was done on these mummies. It was found out that the brain was extracted from the nose, internal organs were removed and the eyes were replaced with artificial eyes. I guess it is true how gruesome is the mummification process.
Here is an actual CT scan copy of the mummy which tells about the actual findings. Arms crossed and packing material was inserted in the upper and lower part of the body. There is also a black substance in the skull area which may be resin.
There are so many coffins on display and each is intricately decorated. It is amazing how all these survived thru the centuries. Should they have been left alone instead of away from the eyes of the new world? I guess it is one good way to learn and get a glimpse of the old world.
An unidentified mummy wrapped in a painted shroud and includes small amulets on the chest. There are also two discs included with inscriptions of a spell from the Book of the Dead. It is said that the spell will give life and resurrect the dead. Ancient Egypt is full of mysticism and would be quite frightening if the dead came back to life in this glass display.
Headdresses are a symbol of power and social status. This one on display looks to have two snakes on the side.
Because of the headdress with a snake people were confused if this is the mummified remains of Cleopatra. The name on display says Cleopatra but is a completely different person, this Cleopatra is a 17-year-old girl from the Roman period 100-120 and the daughter of Candace. The tomb and remains of the famous Queen have never been found until today.
Animals were also mummified including this young bull. There were also cats, birds, and even fish that have been found mummified. These animals were not worshipped as some of you might think. Instead, they act as mediators between the rulers and gods.
Greek and Roman Life
In the next gallery, there is a huge collection of artifacts and vases from the Greek and Roman empire.
These are jars and bowls from 370 BC which were used for wine and water. The jars are beautifully decorated with different scenes of gods. The one in the middle is a sacrificial offering of a bull and is watched by Nike the Greek goddess of victory.
Etruscan Stone Sarcophagus from around 250 BC. The sarcophagus has intricate carvings of angels and winged creatures on the top. This would make you stop and think if they indeed saw angels during that period.
These are Etruscan mirrors made from polished bronze which is also a status symbol of women at that time. The inscription and scenes reflect the wealthy life of the Etruscan women.
This is the sarcophagus of a woman named Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa. She is holding a mirror and is also wearing a lot of jewelry. Even in death, they show how wealthy a person is. The bones found in this sarcophagus according to the findings of the curator belonged to a 50-year-old woman.
We now leave the galleries upstairs and head back to the ground floor. Leaving the second floor we saw a statue of Thalia the muse of comedy. She is one of the nine muses of the god Apollo.
Enlightenment
Legacies of empire and slavery
This gallery is about the Age of Enlightenment, new science, global expansion, and the slave trade.
One of the highlights in this gallery is a huge marble vase that cannot be missed. This is the Piranesi Vase made from marble which used to belong to Sir John Boyd from 1776. This ancient vase from Rome was reconstructed by the artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The vase is held by three legs of a lion and it is said that this was a very ambitious reconstruction. The lower part is not original anymore but the reconstruction is very beautiful and could not be differentiated from the original.
Nereid Monument
Room 17
This is the Nereid Monument from 390 BC-380 BC and is a sculpture of sea nymphs from Greek mythology. They are said to have guided sailors during stormy seas.
Greece 1050–520 BC
Room 13
One of the highlights of the British museum that should not be missed is the Sophilos Dinos or the Sophilos Vase. It took us a long time to find this gallery. We have asked some of the staff where the vase is located by showing them a photo. First, we were told to go back to the second floor where there are also Greek vases displayed. We almost gave up until the staff knew exactly where it was located.
What makes this vase special is it is one of the surviving works of this era that was signed by the artist Sophilos. The vase depicts the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Thetis is a goddess of water and was loved by Zeus and Poseidon. Their minds changed when they found out about the prophecy that the son of Thetis would become very powerful, much more than the father. None of the gods wanted this to happen instead she was betrothed to another, a mortal hero named Peleus. As an appeasement, she was promised a grand wedding by the gods.
A procession of the gods attending the wedding can be seen on the vase. The wedding is attended by by Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Ares. A grand wedding indeed.
As a result of the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, they bore a son. A very popular hero but with a weak heel named Achilles. It is said that this marriage led to the Trojan War.
This gallery is filled with amazing Greek artifacts from vases, helmets, statues, and weapons. I think this gallery is worth spending a little bit more of your time. But at this point, the museum was already about to close. It is really advisable to come in the morning and spend the whole day just enjoying the galleries. However that time will still not be enough to see everything.
Greece: Minoans and Mycenaeans
Room 12
On our way out we passed by this gallery of the Greek Bronze Age. It showcases the daily lives and activities of this age.
At first, I thought that these were ancient bathtubs that looked like it. But instead, they were Minoan burial tombs.
It was an amazing experience visiting the British Museum. I highly recommend you visit this museum whenever you are in London. It is definitely a place not to be missed. For sure I will be back here again to visit the galleries and take things a little bit slower on our next visit.
Thank you for joining us today and I hope you enjoyed the tour. Please join us again as we share with you more of London. Our new home and still so many places to see and discover.
Cheers!
All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and 12-32mm
Lumix GX85 and 12-32mm
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It is a very beautiful museum, seeing ancient Egyptian relics from the past in the museum provides a very extraordinary experience, especially there are coffins and mummies from Egypt, I always think about hunting for treasure when I see unique and classic objects such as there
It baffles me how they got all of these. Although it is a great museum for a lot of people to experience ancient Egypt. The best part of it is the entrance is free.
Wao! I was very impressed by the Egyptian mummies.
We were very impressed as well. I was speechless when I saw the collection.
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