March 21, 2007 Daily Update

Date: March 21, 2007

Partners for the day: Chris and Johann

Site(s): London

Museum(s): British Museum

Principal Buildings/Monuments: Display on the History of the Museum, Display on Aegean Prehistory, Egyptology Reserve Rooms

Time Spent on Each Site: from ca. 12:15 to ca. 5:00 [4.75 hours]

Weather: 40s, overcast

 

Question Answered: B

 

Today marked the start of our program. We gathered together with varying degrees of exhaustion and jetlag at our hotel on Gower Street from the various locales that we had graced with our assorted presences. After a brief logistical meeting, we headed over to the British Museum. We started our tour in the display on the history of the British Museum, which attempted to recreate the displays from earlier in the museum’s history with less prized objects (only in comparison to the rest of the collection). We then headed to the Aegean prehistory section where Professor Rutter highlighted (without notes and off the top of his head!) the display on the Treasury of Atreus, Cycladic marbles, and Minoan bull-jumping and seals. After lunch, we broke into two groups and we taken by two Egyptology curators on a tour of the reserves. Given that the Museum has approximately 110,000 artifacts from Egypt just in the antiquity section (10,000 BC – 1,000 AD) with 4,000 on display and 500 on loan, the reserve collection actually makes up the majority of the collection on Egypt. When I worked at the Parthenon museum in Nashville during high school, we were required to talk about the dispute between the British Museum and the Greeks over the ownership Elgin Marbles and outline some of the arguments of both sides. Over time as I discussed the situation and read more of the background information, my opinion gradually began to favor the Greeks and I wished that the British Museum would return the statues.

But actually seeing the Museum changed that. Having such a large volume of artifacts in a single, well-catalogued location greatly increases their accessibility for scholarship. Because the museum has material remains from such a wide variety of times and places, the Museum curators are able to construct exhibits that trace changes in the culture over time and also to show the relationships between and influences of civilizations upon each other as they came into contact with each other. For instance, it is much easier to see the Orientalizing influence of Egypt on Greek sculpture when both a koros and their Egyptian predecessors can bee seen on the same day in the same building.

 

Furthermore, while arguments have been made that the Museum has not properly cared for their artifacts and have used methods of conservation that have caused damage to the artifacts, the Museum has a large and well-trained staff that spends years working to rectify mistakes made in the past and restore artifacts to their original condition. This staff has been able to protect as best as possible in their time for over two hundred years. Whatever mistakes they have made in the past, the Museum still has managed to preserve papyri that are four thousand years old and even older paintings, a feat that is particularly impressive in the damp weather of London.

 

Additionally, the Museum’s purpose since its creation at the bequest of Sir Hans Sloane has been to provide for the display of artifacts of historical significance in perpetuity for free. An institute that provides free access to fascinating and awe-inspiring objects from throughout the ages is able to ensure the continuation of historical appreciation for future generations.

 

Finally, the Museum provides a central point for the worldwide display of artifacts. Right now, over thirty-five hundred items from the Museum are on display at other Museums. In addition, they create replicas of notable objects, such as the Rosetta Stone, that they both sell and loan out at just the cost of transport, thus further increasing public accessibility to antiquity.

 

 

Peter Kitlas is uber excited to finally see that vase of the Greek poet Homer (called the ‘Apotheosis of Homer’ and ridiculously famous) in the “Gallery of Outcast Artifacts” at the British Museum. (The “Gallery of Outcast Artifacts” is a gallery where the British Museum’s oldest artifacts are kept.)

Agents Holmes, Smith, Kitlas, and Rinat pose in super cool-mode in front of an “unidentified” larger than lifesize African statue. (“unidentified” by us, since we forgot to read the caption)

Miss Stamoulis posing in front of an Assyrian winged bull. Notice how beautifully the relief is incorporated into the wall.

 

 

The following Minoan seals, dated to 1500-1300 BC, apparently show animal attack scenes. Although you might not make out the scenes, trust us, they’re there.

Prof. Rutter visibly excited (can’t you tell?) as he stands next to the Piranesi Vase. (Roman, 2^nd century)

 

 

Nick and Kinsey are intrigued by a collection of Greek black figure vases. Although this collection is in the “Gallery of Outcast Artifacts”, we still recognize numerous vases from our archaeology textbooks.

This banner stands large and high in the main circular area of the British Museum. I’m curious if the British still view us this way?

Miss Sigler admires a variety of Mycenaean kraters decorated with bulls, egres and other stuff.

A Roman copy of Pratixeles’ Late Classical Aphrodite, except this is Venus. Excited?

(I was unable to obtain a random person for scale, they were mesmerized by the statue, but I assure you she is larger than life size)

 

 

Miss Sigler, mouth agape in awe of the large amount of wine that Apulian red figure vase must have held.

 

 

Although this is labeled as the Rondanini Faun (Roman, 2^nd century AD), it is in reality a reconstruction of Kyle’s ridiculously muscular body. Since we were in public, Kyle had to remain clothed.

 

 

These are two late archaic black figure pots by “The Man” himself, Exekias (who was the best black figure painter of ALL time).