London Day Four: British Museum

Rebecca was much better this morning, so we were all able to participate in today's schedule of activities.

Micaela and James had been disappointed that we didn't see the Egyptian collection at the Vatican Museums in February. We had heard the British Museum was one of the best places to see Egyptian artifacts and on the list it went. It just so happened the museum had recently opened an Aztec exhibit focusing on the reign of Moctezuma II. James had studied the Aztecs extensively last year, so we added that exhibit to the to-do list.

A 100 meter-long mural along the Northern line platforms of the Charing Cross tube station shows scenes from the funeral journey of Eleanor of Castile (the wife of Edward I) from Nottinghamshire to her tomb in Westminster Abbey in 1290.

A huge statue of Freddie Mercury above the entrance to the Dominion Theatre where the musical We Will Rock You has been on a seven-year long run. It sounds like a Mamma Mia! type show with all Queen music.

I took this picture not because it shows an iconic double-decker bus and a London taxi, but because the bus is from the Notting Hill line and I wanted a picture of the sign. I liked the movie Notting Hill. The iconic images were a bonus.

James wanted a picture with his new best buddy, Calvin, outside this comic book store. They even look alike with their striped shirts.

The British Museum, established in 1753, is a museum of human history and culture.

This photo I found on the internet captures the Great Court of the museum better than I could.

My photo of the Great Court

Photography was not allowed in the exhibit.

The British Museum houses the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of Egyptian antiquities outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Museo Egizio in Turin. This lion, a red granite lion from around 1370 BC, is one of a pair that acted as guardian figures before a temple built by Amenhotep III.

The princess Neferure in the arms of her tutor Senenmut, an ancient Egyptian architect and government official, 1480 BC

Details on a false door of High Priest Ptahshepses' tomb, about 2400 BC

Three black granite statues of King Sesostris III, 1850 BC

This red granite fist was almost certainly part of one of the colossal statues that Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) constructed. We were sure Micaela was not actually touching the fist, as there were signs everywhere reminding people not to touch the artifacts. There were large groups are school children completely disregarding the signs and running their hands along the pieces, and even draping themselves over some of the statues. Their teachers turned a blind eye.

Ramesses II is often regarded as Egypt's greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh. He is commonly thought to be the pharaoh of whom the biblical figure Moses demanded his people be released from slavery. But the pharaoh of the story is not named in the Bible - he is referred to simply as "pharaoh" - and the question of his identity has been the subject of much speculation.

Statues of Sakhmet from 1400 BC. She was originally the warrior goddess of Upper Egypt. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath created the desert. She was seen as the protector of the pharaohs and led them in warfare.

The Rosetta Stone, created in 196 BC is an Ancient Egyptian artifact which was instrumental in advancing modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. It was also the artifact with the biggest crowd gathered around it.

The stone has a carved text made up of three translations of a single passage: two in Egyptian language scripts (hieroglyphic and Demotic) and one in classical Greek.

Upper part of a colossal statue of Ramesses II, around 1270 BC. We had watched the animated Prince of Egypt before our trip in preparation for seeing this section of the British Museum. Could have done better, but better than nothing.

Limestone figure of a Horus-falcon, after 600 BC

There's a resemblance in the eyes

Bronze cat-goddess Bastet from 664-332 BC.

Hieroglyphs from the Black Schist sarcophagus of Ankhnesneferibre, about 530 BC.

Granite statue of the ram god of Amun protecting King Taharqa, 690-664 BC

Black statue of the goddess Sakhmet, 1350 BC

Schist sarcophagus lid of the Vizier Sisebek, around 600 BC

This sphinx, dating from the second century AD, is purely Greek in concept and with its fellow may once have have marked the entrance to the grave of a Greek inhabitant of Egypt.

Quartzite statue of Nakhthorheb, a high official of the reign of Psammetichus II, from around 590 BC, in adoration of the temple god.

Figures of the god Bes, each holding a knife to ward off evil, (300-30 BC)

Fragment of a marsh hunting scene from the tomb-chapel of Neb-Amun, around 1350BC

Neb-Amun commissioned the walls of his tomb-chapel to be painted with scenes depicting his afterlife and the world in which he lived. You have to include naked dancing girls, you know.

Elaborately bandaged mummy of a calf, from around 30 BC. Bulls were sacred to several gods in ancient Egypt.

Striking eyes

The label said these were Cleopatra's necklace and comb. I was shocked. Could they mean the Cleopatra?

An inscription on her coffin states that this Cleopatra was the daughter of an important official at Thebes at the time of the Emperor Trajan (reigned AD 98-117). She died at 17 some 150 years after her famous namesake, Cleopatra VII.

Becca wanted her picture taken with the little hippo figurine.

Wrapped mummy. There were several exposed mummies, but it didn't feel right taking photos of them.

Inner coffin of the priestess Henutmehyt, from around 1250 BC. The excessive use of gold, and the high quality and detail of her coffin indicates that Henutmehyt was a wealthy woman.

Bronze oil lamp

More tomb paintings

Becca saw bones, but didn't believe she had bones herself inside her body. Micaela knocked on James' skull with Bex' hand to prove people have bones.

Leaving the Egyptian section

Leaving the Great Court

Most of the big London museums are free for visitors. The Department of Culture has invested millions - raised by gambling tax and other taxes, to keep Britain's museums free, though a charge may be made for some special exhibitions. Donations, however, are encouraged.