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I peered cautiously over her shoulder, smelling the freshness of her newly laundered lab coat and hearing her breath of concentration. "We’ve discovered that he is virtually identical to the Marsh Hawk we have in British Columbia," the voice beneath the lab coat said cheerily. "The X-rays are quite remarkable."
Never mind the X-rays I thought to myself, the entire scene was remarkable and the casualness of her comments belied the excited buzz that lay beyond our cloistered environs.
This was a behind-the-scenes preview of the Eternal Egypt exhibit, which opened July 10th at the Royal British Columbia Museum, and we were both within inches of a 2,000 year old mummified hawk. Where the ancient, paper-thin linen wrap had fallen away, delicate feathers, curled talons and polished beak were clearly visible; defiant against all time, and alive with an invitation to explore its long, lost life.
And this is exactly what Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum promises to do. It is, without doubt, one of the most ambitious, prestigious and significant exhibits the province has ever staged. The insurance costs alone are $600 million.
Vying for such an event is a competitive business, and the ability to provide remedial conservation expertise (the RBCM were leaders in the Ice Man research) can go a long way in securing a multi-million dollar show like Eternal Egypt.
That’s how I found myself in this backroom, an unpretentious laboratory of history, where bones are carefully laid out to recreate skeletons, and fossils and feathers are lovingly tended. I watched incredulously as Lisa Bengston, object conservator, layered air-thin Japanese rice paper to areas where the petrified Egyptian bandages needed some strength just to keep the relic from crumbling.
"Any work we do can be undone," noted Bengston as she applied her artistry with the focus of threading a needle. "Every artifact can always be returned to the original state in which it was found."
As I watched her work, I felt like I was part of some archeological dig. The myths of ancient Egypt seemed to come alive before my very eyes and that reality filled me with awe.
Eternal Egypt is made up of more than seven semi-trailer loads of artifacts – 144 artifacts in total – that span a 3,000 year era from Ramses the Great and the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, to the fall of Cleopatra. Highlights include original papyrus scrolls from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a gilded death mask of Satdjehuty and exquisite gold jewelry; a delicate glass fish perfume bottle barely 15 cm (6 inches) long, a colossal quartzite sculpture of the head of Amenhotep III (who built the Temple of Amun), and a 2,300 kilogram red granite lion that once guarded the temple of Soleb. You can only imagine the logistics of getting that particular item into the elevator, let alone the construction of special walls and floors needed to withstand its weight.
Although the items are stunning in themselves, what really sets this exhibit apart is the innovative way in which they will be displayed, managing to embrace all five senses for an all-encompassing experience, albeit within a protective climate of light, humidity and temperature control.
For example, there’s a special Mummy Room devoted to ancient Egypt’s obsession with the afterlife. Here’s where to find the mummies, both human and animal, alongside a diverse collection of tools, magical spells, and other artifacts that explain the fascinating process of mummification. The brain hook (used to extrapolate the brain after death) and the two-spouted pouring vessel to fill the brain cavity with resins are particularly memorable.
One mummy is of a teenage boy; another of a woman, now known as "Nellie", who lived 2,000 years ago and was probably in her early-20s when she died. Forensic anthropologists recently discovered that Nellie’s feet do not belong to her, and the mystery of whose feet are attached to Nellie is still unsolved.
Then there’s the Marketplace, a series of stalls where junior docents and volunteer artisans will recreate the bustle of everyday life in Egypt 2000 BC. Cosmetics and perfumes are being made from ancient recipes using galbanum, frankincense, cardamom, henna and kohl. Each comes with anecdotal snippets of history. The latter, for example, was used by men and women as much for adornment as for protection against eye disease.
There is also papyrus paper making, weaving and hieroglyphic demonstrations, clothing to try on, a food stall with replicas of the culinary abundance the ancient Egyptians enjoyed, and much more. It all adds up to one of the most intimate exhibitions on ancient Egypt you’ll ever experience.
"Perhaps the Egyptians had it right all along," I remarked to Ms. Bengston who had since moved on to the next item, a cat with an ear sticking out of the threadbare linens.
"After all, our insatiable fascination with ancient Egypt has kept this amazing civilization very much alive in our minds so in a sense, doesn’t that confirm that life is, indeed, eternal?"
SIDEBAR
Egyptian mania
Here’s a sampling of Pharaoh fun that’s being offered throughout Victoria during the exhibit:
Spinnakers Brewpub has created a limited edition honey ale reminiscent of ancient Egyptian brews.
Gatsby Mansion is offering a full menu of ancient Egyptian recipes and great boxed lunches with items such as Swiss chard rolls with roasted tomato lemon and garlic, roasted lamb pita with dried apricot spread and baby frisee, and feta & parmesan sambuskas.
Centre of the Universe, Dominion Astrophyscial Observatory has developed a special program on Egyptian archaeo-astronomy.
National Geographic IMAX Theatre is showing an updated Mysteries of Egypt presentation, with special showings on Aug. 7th and 9th on "Mummification" and "Who Murdered Tutankhamun?"
Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Empress has created an Egyptian body wrap using rare and ancient oils.
And be sure to check out the Junior Egyptologists Summer Camps (ages 9-12) on July 26-30 and Aug. 9-13. As well, there are family workshops and specialty weekends where you can create your own ancient Egyptian essences using 3,000 year old techniques, learn the mysterious art of the written hieroglyph, make papyrus paper, create an Egyptian garden, discover ancient beauty secrets and the secrets of mummification complete with decorated sarcophagus!
Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from The British Museum, July 10-Oct. 31, 2004 at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria.
• Tickets: Reserved entry time tickets are $22.50 adults; $16.25 seniors, students & youth 6-18 years. Family tickets (2 adults/2 children) are $65.
• Information & ticket purchase: www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca; Tourism Victoria, 250-953-2033 or toll free 800-663-3883
