New Course on the Egypt Centre Collection

Firstly, Happy New Year to all our readers and supporters!

2023 promises to be an exciting year for the Egypt Centre as we celebrate 25 years since the museum opened to the public. During this time, school groups, students, researchers, and other interested parties have come to visit the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in Wales. To mark this occasion, we will be organising a variety of events, both in-person and online, say stay posted for further announcements.

Fig. 1: Relief depicting Khabekhnet and Sahte before Ptah, Ptah-Sokar, and Isis

First up, I’ll be teaching a five-week course called 25 Years of the Egypt Centre: History and Highlights (fig. 1). As the title says, this course will be devoted to the history and highlights of the museum, from its origins with the Wellcome loan in 1971 to its online engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each week we will examine selected objects on display in the House of Life and House of Death galleries, in addition to those kept in storage. This includes objects from sites such as Amarna, Armant, Abydos, Beni Hasan, Deir el-Bersha. Esna, Naqada, Tarkhan, and Thebes. The anthropoid coffin of the Chantress of Amun Iwesenhesetmut, the offering stand of the infamous Paneb, a limestone relief depicting the God’s Wife Neferure, and the lintel of the Overseer of Craftsmen Tjenti are just some of the objects to be discussed. Using 3D models of many of the objects (fig. 2), it is now possible for participants to get closer than ever to the collection in a virtual capacity. In doing so, it will provide participants with an in-depth knowledge of the museum and its collection.

Fig. 2: 3D model of a sandstone relief depicting a procession of deities (EC376)

In order to be as accessible as possible, this course will be run twice, with sessions taking place via Zoom:

- Sunday evenings 6–8pm (UK time) - Starting Sunday 08th January

- Wednesday mornings 10am–noon (UK time) - Starting Wednesday 11th January

Schedule

Week 1: (Sunday 08 January or Wednesday 11 January): The History of the Egypt Centre

Week 2: (Sunday 15 January or Wednesday 18 January): Highlights of the Egypt Centre

Week 3: (Sunday 22 January or Wednesday 25 January): The House of Death

Week 4: (Sunday 29 January or Wednesday 01 February): The House of Life

Week 5: (Sunday 05 February or Wednesday 08 February): Treasures in Storage

This course costs £40, with fees going directly to supporting the Egypt Centre. In particular, the funds will be used to support the development of the Egypt Centre displays. Full details and tickets can be purchased through our Eventbrite page. 

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