As a class, we’ve seen some pretty impressive sights during our stay in London. Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Globe Theater, Big Ben, Tower of London… The list goes on and on. We have travelled across the city (and some across the country) to see some of the most breath taking sights and remarkable experiences that England has to offer. In my personal opinion, one of the most exciting locations has also been the one that is closest to our flats: the British Museum.
The British Museum is an enormous collection of world history and culture, with exhibits representing various countries and civilizations throughout history. Each section is like a small snapshot of other places from around the globe (and I don’t mean the theater). I was especially struck by the enormous Egypt sections, which occupy several rooms across two different floors. The British Museum is home to an impressive collection of ancient tools and other curiosities, including the famous Rosetta Stone. There are also a number of mummies and skulls on display for visitors to observe. The thought of exhuming the long-buried body of a dead person for dissection and later public display is a morbid thought, but the knowledge that was gained by such practices is substantial.
Along with the skulls and mummies, Egyptian art and architecture are well represented. In the downstairs section of the exhibit there are enormous monuments and sculptures evident of the civilization’s impressive artistic accomplishments. One particular object of note to me is a large stone sarcophagus covered in hieroglyphics. Detailed carvings cover every inch of the enormous stone slab. I can only imagine how much time it would have taken to complete such a marvelous piece. To that end, I also thought it quite ironic that many Egyptian workers must have spent their entire lives preparing for death, whether it was by carving sarcophagi, building tombs and pyramids, or taking care of other necessary preparations for ritual burials.
It’s a shame that so many American museums charge admission fees, as free admittance to the British Museum greatly added to its appeal. Being able to walk down the street and walk right in made the museum a great way to spend free time on a lazy day in London. I also believe that items with great historical or cultural significance should be readily accessible and available to the public, and I think the British Museum is a wonderful collection of knowledge that is willing to share itself with society as a whole.