Gallery activity
Room 64
Ancient Egypt:
Life in ancient Egypt
Containers
 Look at the containers in cases 11 and 12. They are made from different
materials.
 Find a container made out of each of the materials below and then draw the
container. Write down what you think each one could have been used for.
Material
limestone
(a white coloured stone)
copper
(a type of metal, the
surface of copper often
goes green over time)
red breccia
(a type of stone which is
red and white in colour)
clay
Your drawing
Could be used for
calcite
(a type of mineral which
is creamy white in colour)
 Look in the cases again and see if you can find any pots made out of other
materials. Can you spot a pot with a gold lid?
Gallery activity
Room 63
Everyday objects
 Look at the objects in case 11. These objects were placed in tombs to be
used in the afterlife. They show aspects of daily life in ancient Egypt.
 Find an object for each of these activities and tick them.
travelling on the Nile
somewhere to live
brewing beer
farming crops
making bread
food to eat
 Now choose one of the objects you found and draw it in the box below and
then complete the sentence underneath.
This object would help with ………………………………………………………….
 Now discuss with your group what we use today for each of the activities.
Gallery activity
Room 62
Gods and goddesses
The Egyptians believed in many different gods and goddesses.
 Find the papyrus below in case 24, it is object 8. It was made for a man
called Hunefer. Hunefer (wearing a long white linen robe) is shown in 3
places on the papyrus.
 See if you can spot him. Tick how many times you see him.
once
twice
three times
 Use the information box below to identify the gods and goddesses on the
papyrus. Draw a line from their image to their name.
 Anubis -the god of embalming and the dead, he has the head of a jackal (wild dog).
 Osiris - the god of the dead and the underworld, shown wrapped in linen like a mummy.
 Isis and Nephthys – protective goddesses, often shown standing behind Osiris.
 Thoth - the god of writing and knowledge, he has the head and beak of an ibis bird.
 Amut - a monster of the underworld, part lion and part hippopotamus.
 Horus - a god of the sky, shown with the head of a hawk.
Anubis
Osiris
Isis and
Nephthys
Thoth
Amut
Horus
 Now look at the coffins on display in case 21. Can you spot any of these
gods and goddesses on the coffins?
Gallery activity
Room 62
Good luck amulets
The ancient Egyptians had a number of symbols which they believed brought
good luck. These symbols might be painted on to something, made into a 3D
object or worn as a good luck charm (an amulet). Each symbol had a special
meaning.
 Look on both sides of case 23 for the good luck amulets then draw them in
the boxes.
Symbol
Meaning
Eye of
Horus
good
(also
health
known as a
wedjat)
Djed pillar
(also
known as
Osiris’s
backbone).
Description
Your drawing
looks like an
eye
looks like a
stability
tower with
and
bars across it
endurance
at the top
Ankh
life
looks like a
cross with a
loop at the
top
Scarab
new life
and
rebirth
a beetle
 See if you can spot any of these good luck symbols on the mummy cases in
this gallery. Remember the ancient Egyptians wanted good luck in the
afterlife as well as in everyday life.
Gallery activity
63
Rooms 64 and
Personal adornment
Both men and women in ancient Egypt wore jewellery – to look good, to show
off their wealth or as protection (good luck amulets). Clothing in ancient Egypt
was made from linen- a fabric woven from the flax plant. Evidence about what
people wore can be found by looking at objects.
 Go to Room 64 and look in case 14 for this sculpture of a
seated couple. They are both wearing wigs.
 What colour are the wigs? …………………..
 Find somebody else wearing a wig in the sculpture on the wall
to your right. Tick here when you have spotted the wig!
 Now go to Room 63 and look in case 6 for the
painted cloth at the left hand end made for
Isetnefret.
 Can you spot Isetnefret? (She is sitting facing
her daughter Tii and her grandson Penpare.)
 Tick each of these items when you have found them
the tassels running down the side of the white dresses
the large hoop earrings Tii (standing) is wearing
the wide necklace Tii (standing) is wearing
the long black wig Tii (standing) is wearing
the linen mummy wrapping cloths above and below Isetnefret’s
cloth
 Now look at the mummy cases in the nearby cases. Can you see any
examples of the jewellery or clothing that you have looked at already?