Prep IV had an exciting trip to Bolton Museum, where we explored the wonders of Ancient Egypt.
When we arrived, we began by looking around the aquarium, where we saw a variety of fish. Max especially loved the large catfish and the stingrays, and the juvenile stingrays were favourites for many of the children. We then headed to the Egyptian gallery, where we saw real artefacts including beautifully decorated sarcophagi, tiny amulets, and even mummies. We also learned why mummification was so important in Ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife.
We explored just how long ago the Ancient Egyptians lived and discovered more about their civilisation. One of the highlights of the visit was a fun workshop where we found out what life was like in Ancient Egypt. We learned about different roles in society, such as pharaohs, priests, and workers. Some of the children even had the chance to dress up, which made it feel as though we had travelled back in time.
We also spent time exploring the museum galleries and learning about Egyptian gods and goddesses, including Anubis and Ra, and why they were so important to the people of Ancient Egypt.
During our visit we were able to see two mummies. One was the mummy of a three-year-old girl. She was very small and is believed to have died from appendicitis. Experts think she came from a wealthy family because of the remains of her decorative death mask. The other mummy remains unidentified because he is inside the wrong sarcophagus. The coffin actually belonged to a woman called Tawuhenut, who was a priestess at the temple of the god Amun‑Ra. It is not known how the man ended up in her coffin, but historians believe he may also have been a priest because of the position of his hands and his shaved head. He is thought to have been around 30 years old when he died, approximately 3,250 years ago.
Although it was only a half-day trip, we learned so much and had a fantastic time. It really helped bring our history topic to life. A big thank you to the staff at Bolton Museum, especially Rachel, our guide, for making the visit so interesting and memorable.
