Most of the museum’s Egyptian collections are on display in the Hall of Ancient Egypt, supplemented by loans from other institutions. What is kept in our object storage is generally material that’s not so exciting, well preserved, or important. For a long time, though, there was an exception: this mound of loose beads. Made of […]
The stale sticky days of high summer are upon Houston – and also Egypt (although the Egyptian summer has stayed mild so far). What time of year could feel less fresh? For the Egyptians, however, now was the start of the year, a time of new beginnings. Egypt, as no Egyptologist can avoid telling you, […]
It’s been hard to avoid the online memes and gags about hairdos in the time of corona. Have you let it all go wild, or taken matters into your own hands? As it happens, something in the Hall of Ancient Egypt reminds us that the Egyptians had hair concerns of their own. And, as today, […]
While the Museum is closed I thought I’d share some photographs of objects in the Hall of Ancient Egypt that might not get as much attention as they deserve. These four little pieces, all under an inch tall, are today’s subjects for some time in the limelight. Concern for one’s place in an uncertain and […]
Editor’s Note: HMNS Curator of the Hall of Ancient Egypt gives an insider’s look into a newly loaned piece on display. A new loan in the Hall of Ancient Egypt is an arresting reminder of the fact that Westerners have been making myths (and fun) of Pharaonic Egypt for a very long time. Nineteenth century […]
In my last blog post, I said that the Hall of Ancient Egypt would be cycling some pieces in and out in the spring. Now that the dust has settled, I should introduce one of our new arrivals. Two shadowed eyes stare out at us from a large, round face surrounded by a thick black wig with […]
by Tom Hardwick and Dirk van Tuerenhout When the Houston Museum of Natural Science planned our Hall of Ancient Egypt, filling its 11,000 square feet with artifacts was not an easy job. Our own collection of Egyptian material is rather small, and that made looking for long-term loans from other museums a logical — and […]
Tutankhamun has been in the news again, following online publication of Nicholas Reeves’s article that suggests that Tut’s tomb may still be keeping a very big secret: the burial of the king who ruled before him, hidden behind the painted walls of Tut’s burial chamber. To cap it all, this mysterious predecessor, Ankhkheperure Smenkhkare, was probably […]
In Cairo, I’m out of touch with what’s shown on TV, but I always know when something about Egypt has been broadcast. On slow news days, Facebook, Twitter, and my work email all light up with inquiries. In May, there was a mini-boom in Egyptian interest following a BBC programme on animal mummies. The headlines promised to […]
Over the last couple of weeks, eagle-eyed visitors to the Hall of Ancient Egypt may have noticed that things look somehow different. If it’s not any bigger than before, the Hall is certainly better stocked than before – we have added something in the region of sixty new objects to the displays. Most of these come […]
