Flinders Petrie & the Discovery of Egypt

Courtesy of the Petrie Museum, University College London.

Stunning bead net dress, one of only two surviving in the world! Courtesy of the Petrie Museum - University College London

Linen tunic or dress from Tarkhan, Dynasty 1, c. 2800BC. Courtesy of the Petrie Museum, University College London.

Location: Petrie Museum, London

Tour of the galleries of one of the world’s most important collections of Egyptian antiquities
Exclusive special access ‘behind the scenes’ at the Petrie Museum
View and handle ancient Egyptian artefacts
Small group of just 12

The Petrie Museum contains one of the greatest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world, housing more than 80,000 objects, and yet remarkably few people are even aware of its existence. The collection tells the story of the Nile Valley from prehistory to the rise of the pharaohs to the time of Alexander the Great and beyond.

The Museum’s extensive array of everyday objects provide unique insight into daily life in Ancient Egypt. Much of the material comes from excavations conducted by William Flinders Petrie, one of the fathers of Egyptology - making the story of the Museum very much the story of modern archaeology itself. The day is led by renowned Egyptologist Lucia Gahlin, and features a rare chance to handle Egyptian artefacts - a very special and unforgettable experience.

We all very much enjoyed the day, which just flew past. Lucia was an excellent guide to the treasures and history of the museum. Handling the objects was a real highlight. Guest, 2015

Themes

Ancient Egyptians

Practicalities

Small Group

Itinerary 2018
What's Included
Reviews
Linked Tours
Study Days

Itinerary 2018

Day 1

Meeting time / place
10:00 at the Petrie Museum, London

End time / place
16:45 at the Petrie Museum, London

Morning
Introduction to the museum and the people behind it - particularly Amelia Edwards and Flinders Petrie - then a handling session of a variety of objects from ancient Egypt. A guided tour to see some of the museum’s important collection of ancient Egyptian clothing.

Lunch
Traditional Turkish lunch at local TAS restaurant.

Afternoon
A further guided tour of the highlights of the Petrie Museum, including a range of material excavated at the settlement sites of Tell el-Amarna, Kahun and Gurob; an important collection of Roman period mummy portraits; the largest collection of ancient Egyptian pottery outside Egypt; high quality Middle Kingdom relief fragments; coffins and funerary equipment.

What's Included

Expert Guide Lecturer
Lunch - Traditional Turkish lunch at local TAS restaurant
Fact Sheet - Including background information about your Guide Lecturer, historical context for the Day, detailed itinerary, a suggested reading list and directions to the venue

Reviews

Nov 16

Having the museum to ourselves in the morning plus a gifted and knowledgeable guide like Lucia made the day special. Being able to handle objects usually out of reach was very rewarding.

Guest, 2016

Nov 16

Having an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide like Lucia who was able to bring the Petrie to life. The stories behind many of the artefacts were facinating and so something I would have found out if I had visited alone. it was wonderful to have the museum to ourselves in the morning and it was such a privilege to be able to handle a range of artefacts which gave us such an insight into Egyptian life and culture as well as being interesting in themselves.

Guest, 2016

Nov 16

Lucia's knowledge, passion and enthusiasm. Discovering the museum (unknown to me before), seeing so many amazing artefacts and handling some. As well as finding out about techniques used by ancient Egyptians I was unaware of.

Guest, 2016

Nov 1

Handling, observing and discussing the 'hands-on' objects. The Turkish lunch Discussions with Lucia

Guest, 2015

Nov 1

An Opportunity to study things normally unavailable with an excellent tutor and a good group of people with similar interest.

Guest, 2015

Jul 28

"It was my first visit to the Petrie - so what a treasure trove! I most enjoyed the actual handling of the objects. It is a great thrill to have in your hands something that dates back to middle kingdom Egypt. I appreciated the very personal introduction to the museum and being shown the most interesting treasures. This was an excellent day to prepare me for my own future visit to the museum and know what to look out for in more detail."

Guest, 2013

Jul 28

"I really enjoyed the object handling. It was a great experience to be able to look closely at items made thousands of years ago, and through them and Lucia's interpretations to be able to connect with the peoples and cultures which produced them. Being able then to look at other artefacts in the museum helped put it all into context. And the Petrie Museum is just wonderful: it's what I think a museum ought to be like..."

Guest, 2014

Jul 28

I enjoyed the chance to handle original material from antiquity. Lucia Gahlin was well-informed and an inspirational communicator, able to expound on any aspect of the subject that came up in questions, and to bring us up-to-date on the latest developments. I felt that we were getting in touch with the past in a way that would otherwise have been out of our reach. It was enjoyable to be with a small group of like-minded people with a common interest."

Guest, 2013

Linked Tours

Interested in seeing a little more of the ancient world? We run over 100 tours explore history, archaeology and culture all over the world including... See suggestions below:

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View Tour details

See something old in a new way

Andante Study Days offer rare, often unique, insights into the world of working archaeology. All are led by expert guides, and are designed to give guests access to some of the best of British Archaeology...

What to expect

An expert guide to accompany you throughout the Day
A mixture of lectures, practical demonstrations, handling sessions, guided tours and walks
Special access to museums, sites and galleries otherwise closed to the general public (where specified)
Small Groups 12-25 guests
The company of like-minded people!

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