Children's Workshops Coming Up

Our volunteer assistant education officer, Sally Fung has been working really hard recently to organise our children's workshops for half term. Depending on which day children choose they can become an archaeologist for the day, learn about animals in ancient Egypt, and of course carry out a mummification on our dummy mummy.

If you want to know more follow on this link:
http://www.egypt.swansea.ac.uk/index.php/events/424-february-half-term-holiday-workshop

Remember you need to book in advance.

10th anniversary celebrations of Young Egyptologists Workshops - Wendy organising celebrations!

Wendy Goodridge has been very busy organising the celebrations for a whole 10 years of Egypt Centre Young Egyptologists Workshops. It was Wendy's aim to make sure that we targetted all groups and these workshops were specifically for Community First Areas. Children learnt literacy and numeracy but more importantly were given greater confidence through the fun, Egypt related activities such as practising embalming on our dummy mummy, playing the ancient game of Senet and handling real ancient Egyptian objects. And how successful they have been. They were even instrumental in the Egypt Centre being runner up in the widening participation section of the Times Higher Education Annual Awards (though we think we should have won!).

You can find out more about the workshops here:
http://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/index.php/out-of-school-hours-learning/385-young-egyptologist-workshop

And, if you would like to come along to the celebrations let Wendy know.

A centipede, hedgehog or gazelle?

I have been looking anew at W1155a. It is a faience ring bezel (the decorative part of a ring) and comes from the 'Coronation Hall' at Amarna. But what is the motif? It was catalogued in the Egypt Centre around 1997 as showing a centipede (if you imagine it 'upside down' you can see why. I later thought it was a hedgehog. I now think it is a badly executed gazelle with palm branch. This would make it appropriate for the start of a new year. The palm branch symbolised newness or vigour. But, I am not 100% certain. Any further ideas appreciated.

There is more on it here:

http://www.egypt.swansea.ac.uk/index.php/collection/25-w1155a