Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

The Petrie Museum is a university museum on UCL’s Bloomsbury campus, home to one of the greatest collections of ancient Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world. Each of the 80,000 objects tells a story, illustrating life in the Nile Valley from prehistory through the time of the pharaohs, the Ptolemaic, Roman and Coptic periods to the Islamic period.  

Collection highlights include the Tarkan Dress, one of the earliest pieces of linen from Egypt (about 5000 BC), one of the oldest wills on papyrus paper, and many outstanding works of art from Amarna: colourful tiles, carvings and frescoes. The museum also houses the world’s largest collection of Roman period mummy portraits.  

The collection is uniquely important because so much of it comes from documented excavations. Tracing series of typical, commonly excavated objects (such as amulets, tools and weapons, weights and measures, jewellery) the display cases provide a unique insight into how people have lived and died in the Nile Valley. Visitors can explore daily life from the time of the pharaohs and see the clothes people wore, the tools they worked with, and what their homes looked like.  

A mecca for history fans, the Museum’s plethora of objects has something to attract and fascinate visitors of any age. The extensive collection ranges from incredibly preserved quotidian objects, curated to give an insight into everyday life millennia ago, and unique, ceremonial artefacts owned by pharaohs and dignitaries. Also look out for the Museum’s free temporary displays, tours, family workshops and events, which can be found via their website.