Unearthing Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine
The exhibition titled “Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine” at Swansea University’s Egypt Centre is a unique experience, showcasing only two ancient artifacts. One artifact is an intriguing limestone fragment, serving a dual purpose of both writing and drawing. This piece features a message from a man who implores a magician to send goose fat for eye healing. In a surprising twist, a second message from the same individual also exists, humorously requesting additional fat because his cat has consumed the first batch.
The Significance of the Statuette
The spotlight object in this exhibition is a stunning statuette inscribed with spells in hieroglyphs that depict various Egyptian gods. Specifically, it illustrates the youthful form of Horus, the deity associated with the sky, war, and divine kingship. Horus is represented standing proudly on a pair of crocodiles while clutching various snakes, scorpions, a lion, and an ibex. This artifact symbolizes much of what captivates modern observers about ancient Egypt. The recognizable animals coexist with an array of unfamiliar symbols, inviting speculation and curiosity.
In ancient Egyptian culture, this statuette is classified as a “Cippus,” a medical and magical object believed to offer protection against the dangerous wildlife inhabiting the Nile valley and surrounding deserts. Its power derives from the mythology of Horus, who as a child was left to navigate the wilderness. Such connections illustrate that ancient Egyptians worried about their pets and feared dangerous predators, much like we do today, though within entirely different cultural contexts.
Engaging Local Communities
This remarkable statuette is currently on loan through the British Museum’s “British Museum in Your Classroom” initiative. The program aims to collaborate with local museums and schools to enhance exposure to significant historical artifacts. This year, children from two primary schools in Swansea, St Helen’s and Terrace Road, are engaging deeply with the themes of magic and medicine inspired by ancient Egypt.
The educational experience is capped off by bringing the Cippus into schools, where curators from both the British Museum and the Egypt Centre introduce the artifact to pupils. While the statuette itself is not handled due to its value, the children have the opportunity to interact with various objects from the Swansea collection.
Fostering Creativity and Curiosity
In a heartwarming twist referred to as “Your Primary School in the Museum,” students’ colorful and imaginative projects created during the term are displayed alongside the Cippus. A highlight includes a Lego-built pyramid complete with a sarcophagus. Witnessing students see their work exhibited next to a British Museum artifact at the exhibition’s opening is truly unforgettable. The pride and joy expressed by the students, their families, and their school communities are palpable.
The exhibition employs an innovative teaching method known as object-based learning. Research indicates that this multi-sensory engagement with artifacts not only boosts mental health but also fosters an enduring love for learning, enhances memory retention, and develops observational skills. The enthusiasm displayed by the students visiting the Egypt Centre is a testament to the effectiveness of this educational approach.
Broader Impacts on Education
While the primary goal of the project is to afford children, often unable to visit major institutions like the British Museum, a chance to experience significant artifacts, the greatest benefit may lie in the curiosity and excitement it generates within the classroom. Ancient Egypt’s intriguing history serves as a perfect catalyst for igniting interest in various subjects, ranging from mythology to art.
In a time when humanities education faces challenges, this exhibition emphasizes the importance of museums—not just in cultivating Egyptologists, but in inspiring curiosity and lifelong learning among younger generations. Although it’s unfortunate that not every child in the UK can access such transformative experiences, local collections, encompassing hundreds of thousands of Egyptian artifacts, exist in every corner of the country, offering opportunities for engagement.
Local museums already conduct invaluable outreach, yet successful collaborations like this between the British Museum and the Egypt Centre should serve as models for broader support and replication. The exhibition “Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine” will remain on display at The Egypt Centre in Swansea, Wales, until September 20.