Archive for February, 2016

Class 5 Trip to Museum

Class 5 are studying ancient history and ancient civilisations.  This includes exploring ancient Egypt and as part of this the class will visit the ‘Gifts of the Gods’ exhibition at Manchester museum

This fascinating exhibition explores ancient Egyptian animal mummies, prepared in their millions as votive offerings to the gods. Gifts for the Gods ehibition explains the background behind this religious practice in the context of life in ancient Egypt and the environment in which the animals lived. It includes and exploration of the British fascination with Egypt, the discovery of animal mummies by British excavators, and how the mummies ended up in the UK.

The exhibition opens with a reconstruction of the ancient Egyptian landscape which shows Egypt not as the desert we now imagine, but as a country of lush grassland, with taxidermy specimens showing what the animals would have looked like when alive.  Egypt’s many gods could take animal forms to express their superhuman nature. The exhibition explores how images of animals – pictures, statuettes or mummies – could be used to communicate with the gods. Animal mummies and bronzes statuettes are the most common votive offerings – gifts to the gods.

Photographs, archive material and travel journals will show how the animal mummies were excavated and selected by archaeologists and museum experts, including how they were collected and distributed as curios and souvenirs.

Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed
8 October 2015-17 April 2016, Manchester Museum

Mummified jackel

Pupil Places now available

Our next Open Day is on Sat April 27: 9.15-12pm

We are often oversubscribed so please contact us to book a place or to arrange a personal visit.

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