Egypt! Can you dig it?
By Carolyn Carlins
1 Husband and Wife
Statuette (UC15513)
6
4
2 Jackal’s Paw
(UC29190)
3 Pot Burial (UC14857)
4 Coffin Case
(UC14230)
3
5 Crystal Scarab
(UC12577)
5
8
6 Book of the Dead
Bandage (UC32444)
1
7
7 Ear Pick (UC69803)
8 Tarkhan Dress
(UC28618a-j)
9
2
9 Serpent Game
(UC20453)
Welcome to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology!
Archaeology is the study of people and how they lived. An
archaeologist tries to figure out what life was like for people in the
past by looking at the remains of both people and the things they
leave behind. They find these remains often by conducting an
excavation, also called a “dig,” in which archaeologists uncover
objects in the ground by digging them out. Artifacts, or objects that
an archaeologist finds, can become displayed in museums like the
Petrie Museum.
This museum focuses on the archaeology of ancient Egypt and has
an estimated 80,000 artifacts in its collection, some that are over
6,000 years old!!
Egypt is located
in the northeastern corner of
Africa. Can you
colour in Egypt
on this map?
Grab a magnifying glass and use this trail to go on your own
Egyptian excavation through the Petrie Museum!
1 Husband and Wife Statuette UC15513
Main Room Inscription Case 17, Shelf 2
When archaeologists talk about ancient Egypt, they are talking about
a time between 7,500 BC and 400 AD.
Because ancient Egypt changes so much during this time,
archaeologists divide ancient Egypt into periods and dynasties. A
period is a span of time during which different families, or dynasties
ruled. The most well-known periods of ancient Egypt are the Old
Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom.
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The two Egyptians here, probably husband and wife, are from the
18th Dynasty during the New Kingdom 1570 – 1070 BC. This was the
period in which Ramesses and Tutankhamun ruled.
During this period, Egyptians decorated themselves with jewellery,
clothing and make-up. Look at the woman’s headband and also
notice the dark eyeliner around the eyes of both Egyptians. This
eyeliner, called kohl, was worn by women and men.
Through looking at statuettes like this man and woman, an
archaeologist can understand what ancient life may have been like.
An archaeologist that studies Egypt is called an Egyptologist. One
of the first Egyptian archaeologists was a man called William
Matthew Flinders Petrie. There he is! Where do you think he is
going?
Photo of William
Matthew Flinders
Petrie.
Follow that
Egyptologist!
2 Jackal’s Paw UC29190
Back Stairs, Case Y
Petrie began work in 1880 and conducted over 50 excavations in
Egypt. The work of archaeologists like Petrie, require a variety of
different tools such as trowels, brushes, dustpans, and even dental
picks!
Because of the work of Petrie and others, we now know much more
about life in ancient Egypt. One aspect of Egyptian life revolved
around their many gods and goddesses. Egyptians believed in over
2,000 different gods and goddesses! Certain animals represented
many of these gods. Their most important gods/goddesses include
Anubis, Horus, Hathor, Osiris, Ma’at and Thoth. This jackal’s paw
may be from a representation of Anubis, the god of mummification
and the afterlife.
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Can you match the god/goddess with their duties?
A) Anubis- jackal-headed god of
mummification
B) Horus- falcon-headed god of the sky
C) Hathor- goddess of love and beauty
D) Ma’at- goddess of truth balance and
order
E) Osiris- god of the afterlife
F) Thoth- ibis-headed god of wisdom
3 Pot Burial UC14857
Main Room, Pottery Case 9
This case shows a pot burial site which is over 6,000 years old! A
site is a place where archaeologists find evidence of the past in the
archaeological record, the body of objects that provide information
about people in the past. A burial site, such as this pot burial, is only
one of the many sites that an archaeologist can excavate.
Archaeologists also excavate sites where people lived and worked.
The skeleton in this case was buried inside the pot. When it was
found the bones were not connected and it was assembled later.
Petrie’s excavations in Abydos
1899-1900.
Photo from the Murray Album.
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4 Coffin Case UC14230
Main Room, Coffin Case 2
This coffin case is also from a burial site. However this burial dates
more recently than the pot burial, about 2,500 years ago.
Egyptians believed in preserving their bodies so that when they died,
they would journey to the afterlife, a new world where they would live
a new life. Mummification is the means of preserving bodies for the
afterlife.
This coffin case was part of the practice of a mummification burial.
After the process of mummification, the individual would be wrapped
in linens, placed in a wooden coffin case, and finally placed in a
sarcophagus, a protective stone coffin.
A coffin case at Petrie’s camp- in
Abydos.
Photo from the Murray Album.
5 Crystal Scarab UC12577
Pottery Gallery, Pottery Case 31, Shelf 4
Because Egyptian culture changes over time, Egyptologists really
need to know about a lot of information about Egypt in order to
identify objects as artifacts.
This crystal scarab, in three parts, provides a good example of what
an Egyptologist would need to know about Egyptian culture to
identify this object as a scarab beetle.
Another name for a scarab is a dung beetle. Because this beetle
lays its eggs inside a ball of dung and rolls it across the ground, in
ancient Egypt, the dung beetle was associated with the Egyptian god
Khepri who pushed the sun across the sky. It is for this reason that
the scarab beetle was a symbol of rebirth for ancient Egyptians.
As a symbol of rebirth scarabs, like this one, were used in the
process of mummification which could take 70 days!
Page 5 of 9
During this process, the body was wrapped with linen and a scarab
was placed over the heart of the mummy. This amulet, an object of
protection, would guard the body from harm.
But how do archaeologists know the meaning of a scarab and how it
was used in the process of mummification?
Take a closer
look at the
crystal scarab
(UC12577)
6 Book of the Dead Bandage UC32444
Pottery Gallery, Case O
Archaeologists rely on clues from other artifacts that they find to
determine the meaning of objects. In the case of the crystal scarab
above, Egyptologists use artifacts such as the Egyptian “Book of
the Dead,” a bunch of different magic spells that were written to help
the ancient Egyptians reach the afterlife safely. Texts like this provide
archaeologists with more information about what an object means.
Egyptologists are lucky to have found this linen bandage from the
“Book of the Dead.” Often fragile materials like fabrics, basketry, and
woods do not preserve, or survive over long periods of time. The
desert climate in Egypt is hot and arid meaning that it is very dry.
This climate provides the perfect conditions for preservation because
a lack of water keeps materials from decomposing.
Page 6 of 9
The arid Egyptian
climate in Abydos.
Photo from the Murray
Album
7 Bone Ear Pick UC69803
Pottery Room, Case M
In addition to protecting their afterlife with amulets and magic,
Egyptians would also bury themselves with material possessions that
they would need in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians believed that
by burying these objects with them, they would be able to use them
in the afterlife. These possessions would include objects from their
daily life such as pottery, furniture, cosmetics, and even food.
Flinders Petrie was very interested in how the Egyptians lived and
gathered many objects of daily life from the sites where he worked.
The Petrie Museum has over 8,000 objects on display.
This tool was identified as an ear pick and probably was used just as
a cotton swab is today.
Hope you cleaned
behind your ears!!
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8 Tarkhan Dress UC28618a-j
Main Room, Case P
Clothing was another material possession that the ancient Egyptians
would need to take with them to the afterlife. This dress is the oldest
dress in the world! It is just under 5,000 years old. When it was
found by Flinders Petrie, it was in ten smaller pieces. Once it was
collected, archaeologists needed to put these pieces back together in
order to see the pieces as a dress.
Fashion and clothing in ancient Egypt was very important. Wearing
fancy clothing showed both status and wealth.
Decorate your own
Egyptian dress:
Also, try on some Egyptian clothing in the center of the main room
next to the activity table!
9 Serpent Game UC20453
Main Room, Case D, Shelf 4
Once archaeologists find and piece together an object from the past,
they try to determine how the object may have been used.
Egyptologists have found many board games from ancient Egypt and
it appears that people from all levels of society played them. While
the boards survive the rules explaining how to play these games did
not.
Page 8 of 9
This large stone that looks like a coiled snake has been interpreted
as a serpent game. Look at the center of the stone to see the
serpent’s head and towards the edge to see the serpent’s tail!
How do you think it was played?
Petrie at an
archaeological site.
Archaeologists and Egyptologist work to solve the riddles of the past.
Flinders Petrie did not only like solving the riddles of Egypt, but when
younger he liked making his own riddles. This unsolved riddle was
written in a letter addressed to Petrie’s mother. He wrote it when he
was eight years old. Can you solve Petrie’s riddle:
Why is a cross person like a pie with a great deal of pastry?
Page 9 of 9