Highlights from the Petrie Museum

Highlights from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology.

Tarkhan dress

This dress was excavated at Tarkhan, one of the most important cemeteries from the time that Egypt was unified around 3000 BC.

Pottery rat trap excavated at Lahun, Petrie Museum

One Day in Lahun

Lahun is in Fayum, 100 miles south of Cairo. It is the location of the pyramid site of Sensuret II (1877-1870 BC).

Hawara mummy portraits

The mummy portrait panels in this case were found by Flinders Petrie at Hawara in 1888-9 and 1910-11 and date from the period of Roman rule over Egypt.

Limestone slab with 5 columns of green-filled hieroglyphs containing the cartouche of King Pepy four times.

A pyramid text

‘Pyramid texts’ are some of the oldest religious texts in the world.

Akhenaten and the rays of the sun god Aten

Fragment of relief, made from alabaster, showing a headless Akhenaten followed by Nefertiti and Meritaten before an offering table with three jars.

Complete faience lotus inlay, Petrie Museum

Fragments of faience tiles and inlays from Amarna

Faience is a glazed ceramic created in a similar way to glass.

Dancing girl cosmetic spoon

An intricate wooden toilet spoon used for storing or mixing perfumes and minerals for make-up.

Bead net dress

The dress may have been worn for dancing in Dynasty 5 (c. 2400 BC).

Light green faience ankh inscribed on both sides of shaft

Faience 'Ankh' from Meroe, Sudan

This hieroglyphic symbol for life is inscribed in Egyptian with the name of King Aspelta.