The Egyptian session is a really great introduction to this incredible ancient civilization. It is designed to give children an insight into what life (and death) was like in the land of the pharaohs: how they lived, what they ate, how they dressed, what they believed and what they used in every day life. It lasts 2 hours and is structured into two main parts: firstly, an introduction on the Ure Museum, and the place that Egyptian archaeology has in our collection. This will focus on the roles of archaeologists and curators, the use of materials and what the material remains excavated can tell us about the people of ancient Egypt. The children will look at religion and the death rituals of ancient Egypt, as well as the Egyptian people’s use of trade to feed and clothe themselves and grow their economy. The session will also touch on their writing technologies and the items they used in every day life, including make up! There will be an opportunity to explore the collections collaboratively and expressively through worksheets, group and individual exploration and through handling real ancient Egyptian objects.
The second part is a demonstration of mummification using a fish, carried out by the leader of the session. The mummified fish may be taken back to school for the children to watch the progress of the process and see the way that the method and materials used keep the fish from decaying in perpetuity, just like mummified remains. If the teachers or the children would prefer a different final activity the fish mummification may be exchanged in favour of craft activity such as canopic jar or shabti making or designing and colouring a death mask.