Academic Scholars' visit to The Fitzwilliam Museum

On Wednesday 9 March, Dr Claire Hodgskiss, Executive Officer and Scholars’ Officer, took 11 of our Academic scholars from Year 7 to Year 10 to The Fitzwilliam Museum. The group enjoyed a tour hosted by Dr Helen Strudwick, from ‘The Death on the Nile’ Egyptology exhibit. Dr Strudwick pointed out to the girls how the design of the sarcophagus had changed over time – from the basic design to the type of wood used – and explained the various inscriptions, and how the attitude towards burial in Egypt had changed during the reign of the pharaohs. The girls were interested in the conservation exhibits and talked briefly about the preservation of historical artefacts. For instance: is it disrespectful to remove items such as sarcophagus from their final resting place; how does the museum preserve burial traditions (one of the answers being that certain coffins have to face in a particular direction); and what are the implications of these traditions on modern day discoveries?