From Rosetta to Ramses: Unveiling the Treasures of the British Museum

The British Museum exterior.

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The British Museum in London is a treasure trove of history, art, and culture. With a collection that spans thousands of years of the human experience, this iconic institution offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of the past.

The Rosetta Stone was the key to unlocking the secrets of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

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The British Museum features more than fifty galleries where you’ll find yourself surrounded by artifacts from many different civilizations. View the Rosetta Stone, dating to 196 BC. It is part of a larger slab, found near the Egyptian village of el-Rashid (Rosetta). The stone proved to be the key to unlocking the secrets of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The Elgin Marbles are a remarkable collection of ancient Greek sculptures from the Parthenon Temple in Athens.

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Explore the Elgin Marbles (also called the Parthenon Marbles)—an extraordinary collection of Ancient Greek sculptures that adorned the frieze, metopes, and pediments of the Parthenon. They were created in the 5^th century BC under the direction of the illustrious Greek sculptor and architect Phidias. They were initially part of the Parthenon Temple in Athens. However, they were removed in the early 1800s by Thomas Bruce, the 7^th Earl of Elgin.

This replica of a helmet found in the Sutton Hoo burial is displayed along with the original.

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Visit room 41 and learn how the British Museum acquired the archaeological treasures within the famed Sutton Hoo ship burial. In 1939, amateur archaeologist Basil Brown unearthed this remarkable find. What he revealed was not just a grave but a spectacular funerary monument on an epic scale: an 88.6-foot-long ship with a central burial chamber filled with dazzling riches.

These winged human-headed lions stand guard over the Assyrian Exhibit at the British Museum.

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Whether you prefer Egyptian mummies, Assyrian winged human-headed lions, life-sized scarabs, or Medieval Europe, the more than sixty galleries at the British Museum offer a captivating journey through time. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore this remarkable institution and connect with the stories of our shared human past.

If you’d like to explore the British Museum with us, we are heading there as part of our Antique Adventures Tour of London and Wales from August 29 through September 5, 2024. Learn more about the tour and register here.

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