Mummy!

Today I went to a museum based workshop held at Maidstone Museum. The delegates were mainly Learning Officers or Education Leaders from other museums. Our first activity was to become 10 again! No need to ask me twice. I do the job I do because I a, still a kid at heart.

We experienced the Egyptian workshop and I learnt lots of things I probably have known before but forgotten.

It was really amazing to actually hold a 3000 year old amulet that had been wrapped in between the linen layers wrapped around a mummified body.

After the workshop, we went into the gallery to see an actual Mummy, pictured.

I certainly found it fascinating. The hieroglyphics were so clear on a beautifully preserved golden sarcophagus, the linen, all authentic and clean looking. The body, was intact and we could even see the sawdust that had been used to stuff the body.

I did however find it rather disquieting also. the body of a young girl roughly aged 12-15, so well preserved, one could even see her toe nails. I couldn't help feeling that she had been put into a tomb surrounded by her possessions, pets, food etc, not forgetting the amulets and shabti to help and protect her in the afterlife, and that it was wrong for us to display her in a glass case, and for me to stare.