Budding archaeologists have just days left to explore the international race to decipher hieroglyphs in A British Museum Touring Exhibition Egyptian hieroglyphs: unlock the mystery at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum ending on 12 October 2023.
Nine rare ancient Egyptian artefacts are on display in the heart of Lisburn City Centre from the British Museum’s priceless collection including ancient Egyptian funerary statues, a papyrus extract from the Book of the Dead, belonging to the priestess Nestanebetisheru; and a 3,000-year old limestone lintel revealing the name of Pharaoh Ramses III. The exhibition also features a replica of the world-famous Rosetta Stone. It is the first time these British Museum objects have been seen in Northern Ireland.
Councillor Thomas Beckett, Communities & Wellbeing Chairman at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Committee, said: “We’d encourage adults and children alike - from our area and further afield - to visit this blockbuster exhibition before it closes on 12 October 2023. This is a fantastic opportunity to see some incredible objects from the British Museum’s collection here, in Lisburn!”
The spotlight tour follows a major exhibition by the British Museum which attracted more than 128,000 visitors celebrating the 200th anniversary of when a French scholar unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The free family-friendly exhibition guides visitors through the story of decipherment using video, games, interactives displays and a replica of the famous Rosetta Stone.
Following the Museum’s special trail, you can decipher hidden hieroglyphs, ‘crack the code’ and earn your own code-breaking badge.
To complement the exhibition, Lisburn Museum has developed 21 exciting family-friendly drop in workshops, a self-guided trails and a dedicated schools programme. Those with a more creative flair can even make their own pyramid, design a cartouche, Egyptian jewellery or a ‘mummy mask’.
To find out more go to www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/egyptian-hieroglyphs