The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Exhibit

I started reading books on Egyptology when I was around 8 or so, and absorbed a good number of them before my attention wandered off to other things. Still, a visit to the Egyptian exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art remains one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon. And yes, I really did take a class in hieroglyphics when I was at Columbia. It's a very strangely constructed language, and made me wish I'd studied two or three other ancient Semitic languages first. One's manner of speaking reflects one's manner of thinking, and I can definitely say that the ancient Egyptians were Not From Aroud Here.

This is a tiny subset of their collection.

This small tomb reconstruction is the first thing you see when you enter the hall. The next two photos were taken in the small room on the left. There's a statue on the other side of that keyhole. Grave goods.

Souls and other spirits are supposed to be able to go through this door- human beings sure can't. Various bits of jewelry, etc.

I love these tiny alabaster vases.

Ushabti, there to do whatever tasks the dead person is supposed to do. Ancient love- I'm a sentimental sort.

Models found in a tomb, to insure that the dead lack for nothing. These are the stables. ...the slaughterhouse, ...the grainery, ...and of course, the brewery.

And a yacht to hold the party on.

The Temple of Dendur. I remember reading in the National Geographic about the removal of this and a few other selected archaeological sites before the Aswan High Dam was put into service and the areas were flooded. The Nile got them all back though- I heard recently that the dam is silted up and nearly unusable.

Gotta have a mummy. Just gotta.

Created by Lee Ann Goldstein on Mon Feb 10 21:36:33 GMT 2003


This small tomb reconstruction is the first thing you see when you enter the hall. The next two photos were taken in the small room on the left.	There's a statue on the other side of that keyhole.	Grave goods.

Souls and other spirits are supposed to be able to go through this door- human beings sure can't.	Various bits of jewelry, etc.

		I love these tiny alabaster vases.

	Ushabti, there to do whatever tasks the dead person is supposed to do.	Ancient love- I'm a sentimental sort.

Models found in a tomb, to insure that the dead lack for nothing. These are the stables.	...the slaughterhouse,	...the grainery,	...and of course, the brewery.