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‘Egypt, Gift of the Nile’ exhibit a coup for Galt Museum |
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Written by Jeff Wiebe
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Friday, October 10 2008, 11:37 PM |
It’s a collection Indiana Jones would be proud of.
The Galt Museum and Archives in Lethbridge unveiled its new Egyptian exhibit Friday, and it comes complete with a treasure trove of ancient artifacts. Entitled “Egypt, Gift of the Nile,” the exhibit features a variety of authentic objects dating back thousands of years, including jewelry, tools, figurines and utensils.
“When you look at these, you see how extraordinary their skill was to create them,” said Wendy Aitkens, museum curator.
She said many of the pieces are small and personal, giving visitors an intimate look at the life of average Egyptian.
“It gives you a sense of how Egyptians looked at their world. And it’s an age that influenced our society in a lot of ways.”
Kevin McGeough, a professor of archeology at the University of Lethbridge, said it’s uncommon for a city like Lethbridge to host such an exhibit.
“This is really rare. In a city this size, it’s fantastic. Usually you have to go to Toronto or the U.S. to see these kinds of eastern antiquities,” said McGeough.
“One of the reasons why this is such an opportunity for Lethbridgians is that the Egyptian government no longer allows the removal of artifacts from Egypt.”
McGeough said he wants his students to see the exhibit, and because ancient Egypt is a perennial favourite among many of them, it won’t take any arm-twisting to get them through the door.
“I’m making my students visit, but it’s not something I have to cajole them into doing. They’re willing to come here on their own time.”
Gift of the Nile is the second travelling exhibit the Galt has shown this year, and Aitkens said local residents seem to have quite an appetite for exotic fare.
“We heard from our community that they’d like to see us expand beyond what we normally have, which is southern Alberta history exhibits. So that opened the door for us,” she explained.
“I think most people have a sense of curiosity, of adventure, and a love of travel. This (exhibit) gives people a taste of that. Maybe after seeing this, they’ll want to travel to Egypt and see the real thing.”
The Galt has organized a series of events related to the Egyptian exhibit, which will run until Jan. 25. And on Oct. 18, visitors can see the exhibit for free as part of museum community day, which will also feature mummy-related film screenings and belly dancing, among other activities. The Galt will also be bringing in 2009 with a bit of foreign flare, as it hosts an Egyptian New Year’s Eve Party on Dec. 31.
For more information, visit www.galtmuseum.com.
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Last Updated ( Monday, August 10 2009, 2:34 PM )
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