Library Lates: Excavating the Egyptians
About the event
As part of our Library Lates series, come and join us for an interactive evening of talks, discussion, creative activities and performance inspired by our current exhibition Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive.
Drop-in activities, Blackwell Hall
Print a Tutankhamun-themed keepsake to take away
Write your name in hieroglyphs
Play Senet, the board game from ancient Egypt with you as the game token
Draw like an archaeologist and discover the importance of accurate recording
Show off your strategic skills and compete against your friends in the Egyptian Game Café
Caring for papyri: discover how the Bodleian Libraries’ oldest collections are mounted, stored and conserved with Bodleian Conservation
Design and emboss a foil decoration inspired by the Golden Shrine to Nekhbet found in Tutankhamun’s tomb
Unravelling Archaeology with Science: Dr Victoria Sainsbury (School of Archaeology, University of Oxford) shares how archaeologists use science to understand how people in the Bronze Age in Egypt and beyond produced glass and metal objects.
Borrow a ‘living book’ from the Living Library to explore topics including:
- Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies with Dr Francisco Bosch-Puche
- Voices from Beneath the Sand with Dr Martin Kauffmann
- They Were Also Humans: On the Photographic and Filmic Portrayals of Egyptian Mummies with Sara Sallam
- Rain in the Desert: How Weather Shaped the Valley of the Kings with Caitlin Jensen
- Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive with Professor Richard Bruce Parkinson and Dr Daniela Rosenow
- EX LIBRIS F.LL. GRIFFITH et N.C.C. GRIFFITH 1937 with Susanne Woodhouse
- A Rainbow of Coloured Materials: Pigment Analysis from Egyptian Manuscripts to Victorian Prints with Tea Ghigo
- Hor: A Forgotten King with Helen Neale
Browse Egyptian-themed gifts and buy the Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive exhibition catalogue at the pop-up Bodleian Shop
Talks
I Prayed the Resin Would Not Melt with artist Sara Sallam
Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre
7.15 – 7.45pm
Join artist Sara Sallam for a screening of her work ‘I Prayed for the Resin Not To Melt’ followed by a Q&A about the concept and development of the piece, hosted by Elizabeth Frood, Associate Professor of Egyptology, University of Oxford.
Facts, Fictions and the Mummy's Curse
Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre
8.15 – 8.45pm
Dr Eleanor Dobson, Deputy Head of the Department of English, University of Birmingham
In this short talk, Dr Eleanor Dobson explores Howard Carter's diaries, his published account of the excavation, and the little-known narrative 'The Tomb of the Bird', written with his friend, the author Percy White. Looking at these materials together shines a light on the vital role that fiction played in shaping the stories that were told about the excavations, some of which - foremost among them those that relate to the mummy's curse - still continue to circulate today.
Performance
Howard Carter and the Curse of Tutankhamun
Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre
9.00 – 9.30pm
To mark the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, Don't Go Into The Cellar! proudly presents an original theatrical piece reinterpreting the myths surrounding the excavation, and the deaths of several noted individuals connected to the historic find, including Lord Carnarvon. Was it all just coincidence, or was there any truth to the rumours that a curse had been unleashed? Join us and, perhaps, you will discover the truth—unless the truth discovers you first.
Booking information
The event is free but booking is required. When you have booked your place, the ticketing system will send you an automated confirmation.
Location
Blackwell Hall, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG
Wheelchair access
The Weston Library is wheelchair accessible.
Acknowledgements
The Bodleian Libraries Learning Programme is generously supported by The Helen Hamlyn Trust:
In collaboration with The Griffith Institute:
