Funding will enable museum to bring Ancient Egypt to life

West Briton
THE ROYAL CORNWALL MUSEUM'S most popular exhibit will be given its own enclosed tomb thanks to a £233,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The money will be used to create a new permanent exhibition to show what life was like in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, including a statue loaned from the British Museum and artefacts.
The mummified remains of Iset Tayf Nakht, an Egyptian priest, craftsman, husband and father who lived more than 2,500 years ago, will be moved to an enclosed tomb area in the new gallery.

The Unwrapping The Past exhibition will explore themes of mummification and the afterlife, beliefs, in the home, making a living, the written word and studying the evidence.

Interpretation panels, object displays and family-focused activities will be used to bring the past to life and make learning about ancient civilisations stimulating and fun.

Another centrepiece will be the British Museum's statue of Sekmet, the Lion Goddess.

Head of programmes Lisa Mitchell said: "Challenging environmental conditions in our current Egypt Gallery meant that many metal artefacts had to be taken off display four years ago, but the new gallery will have high-specification cases, new lighting and environmental controls and, with much more space, we can exhibit far more of our wonderful artefacts.

"Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome have fascinated people since the earliest antiquarians brought back tales of ruined cities and pyramids and that fascination still exists today. We are working closely with the British Museum to reinterpret the collection for schools, families and general visitors and are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for their tremendous support.

"I've no doubt that people are going to be very impressed when the exhibition opens in early June."

Richard Bellamy, acting head of Heritage Lottery Fund South West, said: "This project will help ensure the ongoing preservation and care of some of the museum's most fascinating and popular artefacts.

"At the same time, the new gallery will create opportunities for visitors to enjoy these wonderful collections and gain a wonderful insight into past civilisations."

As match funding towards the overall cost of the project, £55,000 has also been secured from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and £10,000 from the Foundation for Sports and the Arts.

About 20 volunteers are being recruited and trained to provide tours and handling sessions in the new gallery.

Anyone interested in applying should telephone 01872 272205 or e-mail Maggie.greenall@royalcornwall museum. org.uk
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