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The first stop on our trip was undoubtedly one of London's most famous tourist attractions—the British Museum! The line stretched all the way down the street. We arrived 30 minutes before the time we booked, and we were still a few minutes late.
The British Museum is massive. This view from the lobby doesn't do it justice. Each of the archways on the side leads into a multi-story wing, and behind the center building is another archway leading into another massive wing.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Exhibit: Feminine Power
Exhibit: Feminine Power
"From goddesses and spirits to demons and saints, feminine power appears in many guises in faiths around the world."
The British Museum rotates out private exhibits; while it's free to get into the museum, you have to pay a small fee to see special exhibitions. While we were there, they had an exhibit on Stonehenge as well as one on feminine power, which is a collection studying various female deities throughout history.
The images to the left showcase five of these figures, all revered at the time their cultures flourished.
Athena/Minerva—the ancient Greco-Roman goddess of war and wisdom.
Sekhmet—"the Egyptian lady of slaughter." She was a destructive figure, sent by her father Ra to exterminate humans, but she could also promote healing.
Guanyin—the Chinese goddess of mercy. She is a bodhisattva (enlightened beings who guide others towards nirvana) of compassion.
Innana/Ishtar—the Mesopotamian Lady of Heaven, embodying desire and aggressive warfare. Worship of Innana dates back 6,000 years, making her one of the world's oldest known goddesses. (And a praise hymn written by one of her priestesses, En-hedu-ana, is the oldest text in the world to identify its author, making the world's first known author a woman). I studied Innana last semester; she's similar to Athena/Minerva, but unlike the Greco-Roman goddess, Innana was also pictured as almost a demon. (She was usually portrayed as having red skin and taloned feet.)
Cihuateteo ("Divine Woman")—Aztec (Mexica) women who died in childbirth. Deified as fallen warriors for their sacrifice, they were also feared, because they were believed to descend to the earth for five days every year to steal living children.
The Way of the Warrior
The Way of the Warrior
One meaning of the name 'Mallory' is 'one who wears chain mail', so it was really quite cool to stand next to a suit of it!
These weapons (from both the Bronze and Iron Ages) were buried in an Egyptian cemetery, bound in linen to a deceased individual.
These Viking weapons were recovered from the Sutton Hoo ship burial (a ship put to sea 1400 years ago with the remains of an Anglo-Saxon king and all his treasures).
Stories Told By Pottery
Stories Told By Pottery
These three heads, dating between 570 and 425 BC, come from the region of Cyprus. The one in the center is particularly interesting because it displays the syncretism going on in the era and in the region; the British Museum explains that while the head contains high cheekbones and a small smile (Ancient Greek features), it also has artistic traits from Persia, such as "the snail-curls on the beard".
"A Family Mourns, 200-100 BC"
"The deceased man is shown in the middle flanked by a woman, his wife or mother, and another man, perhaps his son or brother. Cypriot artists created sculpted grave markers around 600 BC, influenced at first by Egypt and Phoenicia (modern Lebanon). Greek-style reliefs such as this, with their emphasis on family groups, became more popular from around 500 BC and especially during Hellenistic times."
Source: The British Museum
These grave markers, like the Cypriot sculpture on the left, demonstrate a level of sculpting ability that is highly intricate and an increasing shift towards this style.
In a slightly more amusing note, Hayley and I agreed that due to the missing noses, many of the sculptures resembled Voldemort.
Although the common perception is that most ancient Greek sculptures portray powerful men or deities, women could also feature in sculpted form. The woman on the left is Claudia Olympias, and the sculpture was made around 100 AD. The woman on the right is Matidia, Roman Emperor Trajan's niece and the mother of Emperor Hadrian's wife Sabina. Her deification after her death led to many statues of her spreading across the Roman Empire.
Writing and Literacy in Ancient Civilizations
Writing and Literacy in Ancient Civilizations
Originally, writing was a series of pictographs (images representing concepts, like animals), but it got simplified over time until cuneiform (a series of signs made from wedge-shaped impressions) became the standard, one that would continue to be used for 3000 years.
The Rosetta Stone!
This informative plaque at the British Museum explains how writing evolved over time, from a cumbersome series of signs to a Canaanite system that laid the basis for the later Greeks.
Technological Advancements: Clocks
Technological Advancements: Clocks
When monarchs wanted the best of the best, that didn't just extend to food, castles, and apparel—apparently, they wanted the best clocks too! The clock above dates to the 1500s, in a time where clocks were a symbol of status and wealth and royals were patrons of clockmakers.
It's hard to believe this gilded masterpiece from 1585 actually functions as a clock, but indeed it does! Originally, it was intended to announce banquets at court through music coming from the 'ship', but it also features a magnificent clock on the side.
This "masterpiece clock" from 1620 not only shows the time, but also shows the day of the week, saints' days, feast days, the length of night and day, and—via the dragon hand—when eclipses might happen.
This "automaton clock" from 1600 is as technologically advanced as our modern Christmas tree ornaments are! The farmer's staff rotates to indicate the time, the cow's eyes move, and when a switch is flipped, the cow is 'milked' by the milkmaid.
This watch from 1645 isn't just to keep time—it also shows the tragic love story of a Christian knight, Tancred, who fatally wounds his beloved Clorinda in a battle. (The clock is on the reverse of the golden panel.)
A Showcase of History's Variety
A Showcase of History's Variety
Jewelry Over the Ages
Jewelry Over the Ages
Similarities in Medicine
Similarities in Medicine
Though societies rise and fall, instruments of medicine have remained largely the same. Roman tools from the first century AD included forceps, catheters, needles, probes, and tweezers, many of which we still use today! (With better hygiene, of course.)
Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship
Take-Aways
Take-Aways
Tangible History
Tangible History
Last semester (Spring 2022), I took a class on Ancient Mesopotamia, and it was fascinating... but it also felt very distant, since the events we were discussing happened up to 12,000 years ago. Seeing remnants of that era—things we discussed in class—right in front of my eyes was eye-opening and surreal.
The first image, a Mesopotamian incantation bowl, was used to ward off evil spirits or bring good luck to its owner. I made a fake one last semester for a course assignment, so seeing a genuine one was so incredible!
The second image includes fragments of clay tablets at the top, written in cuneiform; I wrote a research paper explaining how Mesopotamian tablets shed light on the economy of a region known as Ur, but my sources were translations. I'd never seen a clay tablet before, and I never realized how small these primary sources are.
The third image is a description of the Sasanian Empire along with some amazing artifacts from that era. Everyone knows about the Persians, but their successors the Sasanians aren't frequently talked about, so I highly recommend looking into them if you're interested!
A Dream Come True
A Dream Come True
To the London Bridge Rotary Club: thank you. Seeing the British Museum has been a dream of mine since I first heard about it when I was ten, and I'm so grateful that I got the opportunity to visit it and explore the history of cultures across the world. I learned a lot, and the hundreds of pictures I took will go a long way in helping me make history tangible to my future students!
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