Ancient Egypt
Learn about the lives and beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians in our atmospheric galleries. See artefacts excavated by one of the UK’s leading Egyptologists.
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery’s Ancient Egypt collection is one of the largest held in a regional museum in the UK. This is partly the result of a connection with leading Egyptologist Professor Francis Llewellyn Griffith, who was born in Brighton and was supported early in his career by Henry Willett, one of the museum’s founders.
Hands-on activities for kids
The collection is displayed in two linked galleries, each with informative text panels and engaging activities for children. Visitors of all ages can explore objects related to the everyday lives and beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians. These include items that might have been found in the home, such as bowls and jars, tools and jewellery.
Burial objects and traditions
The importance of the afterlife, and the traditions associated with it, is another focal point here. Highlights include a coffin surrounded by burial objects, such as jars of food, protective amulets and shabtis, small, carved figurines shaped like mummies which, it was thought, could act as servants for the deceased or work on their behalf in the afterlife. One display also reveals the practice of mummifying animals, and features a group of young crocodiles.
In the smaller gallery, you can delve into the environment and technology of Ancient Egyptian life, and learn about the excavation of some of the objects in our care.