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Unveiling Egypt's Ancient Marvels

Auckland Museum's international exhibition Egypt: In the Time of Pharaohs has been a runaway hit, with over 100,000 people flocking to see the wonders of the ancient world. This isn't the Museum's first Egypt exhibition however, with two other international exhibitions hosted in 1997 and 2007, proving the enduring interest in one of the most prolific cultures in human history.

It's what's inside that counts

To archaeologists, one man's trash really is another man's treasure. So much can be learned about a person by examining the things they've left behind, even if the original owner didn't think they were particularly important. Read on to discover a story of a 20th century teenager, pieced together from the contents of a rather unconventional rubbish bin.

Chaos and Order

Ancient Egyptian religion was complex and polytheistic, with multiple deities representing and controlling aspects of the natural environment and concepts such as love and creativity. The worship and rituals associated with these deities formed a core part of ancient Egyptian life and maintaining Ma’at, or divine order, peace and balance.

How did Auckland Museum get its Egyptian collection?

Auckland Museum houses nearly 2000 artefacts from Egypt. Their ages ranging from 10,000 years old, to the time of the pharaohs, and more recently. But how did these items find their way to a Museum on the other side of the world? In this blog, Dr Josh Emmitt, Curator Archaeology, lifts the lid on the not often told history of museum acquisitions.

What did the ancient Egyptians ever do for us?

Ancient Egypt covers over 3,000 years of history. Over time there were many changes and developments in technology, some of which we still use today, albeit in a slightly different form. Here we look at some of the things that have come through time to us, including paper, ink, toothpaste, and hair products.

An identity returned

Along her journey to reach the quiet corner of our Ancient Worlds gallery, the mummified woman resting in this well-known sarcophagus lost something very dear: her name. In this blog by Deirdre Harrison, Collection Manager Archaeology, her name is returned. Read on to learn about the investigation that led to this remarkable discovery.

Worth their weight in gold

There's a new, and very old addition to the Ancient Worlds Gallery. A selection of coins from antiquity are now on display. Discover their stories in this blog by Deirdre Harrison Collection Manager Archaeology, and what they can tell us about about the societies that used them.

Reading a vase

People have always found a way to tell stories. As well as the oral and written traditions; music, performance and art have been used through the ages. One particularly beautiful form of storytelling can be found in Ancient Greek vase painting. Combining the poetic with the practical, Greek vases can depict myths, legends, or stories through the use of symbols and people easily recognisable to contemporary audiences. In this article, Deirdre Harrison Collection Manager, Archaeology, examines a well-known tale depicted on a hydria from our collection.

Excavating Otata Island: A Midden Revealed

In March 2020, Auckland Museum archaeologists carried out a small excavation in a large coastal midden on Otata Island in the Hauraki Gulf, Tikapa Moana.

Rediscovering our archaeological collections

Friday, 4 May 2018

Lori Bowers shares her experiences of working with the Archaeological Collections at Auckland Museum. Material from archaeological excavations is diverse and has to be curated and recorded in a consistent way. Because of the quantity of material, the task can be repetitive but there are always interesting things to discover.

Archaeological puzzles and the importance of prepositions

Wednesday, 2 May 2018

At any archaeological dig, there are all number of objects that help to build a picture of past lives. But as with a puzzle, a single piece is worthless, or may be a red herring; it is the correct linking of the pieces which forms the picture.

Kurī in Archaeology

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Convergence of this year’s New Zealand Archaeology Week with the Year of the Dog provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the Polynesian dog or kurī and its importance to archaeological investigation in Aotearoa.

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