Australian Capital Territory Archives - Page 2 of 8

13 February 20248 February 2024

Discover Ancient Egypt in Canberra

Cartonnage of Nehemsu, 22 Dynasty, 943-746 BCE

Discover Ancient Egypt At The National Museum of Australia in Canberra

On display until 8 September 2024 at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, Discover Ancient Egypt displays fascinating artifacts from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden).

What’s on Display

Entering the museum, you are greeting by a statue of Anubis, the Egyptian god of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld. From here, the displays take you through the lives of ancient Egyptians, with an emphasis on the funerary process.

Statue of Anubis at the Entrance to the Australian Museum Discover Ancient Egypt in Canberra — Statue of Anubis at the Entrance to the Australian Museum

Stelae

Used for a variety of purposes, stelae are stone or wooden slabs containing information. Uses included burial markers placed outside tombs, monuments that commemorated special events, the marking of boundaries or made offerings to gods. As such they provide a great inside to the thinking of the Egyptians.

Funerary stela of Hor, Late period 26th Dynasty c.664-525 BCE

Limestone offering stela of Khu and his family, Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, c.1878-1843 BCE — Funerary stela of Hor, Late period 26th Dynasty c.664-525 BCE

Sarcophagi and Coffins

This was one of the largest parts of the display, with 10 coffins on display. The detail of the decorations used on them really has to be seen to be appreciated. Not only are the outsides covered, but the interior as well.

Also in this section, were several mummies. To demonstrate the latest scientific techniques used an interactive display allowed us to see what a 3D scan revealed. This meant that the interior and composition of the mummy could be determined without unwrapping and damaging the body inside.

Inner coffin of Amenhotep - High Priest of Amun, 21st Dynasty 1076-944 BCE — Cartonnage of Nehemsu, 22 Dynasty, 943-746 BCE

Canopic Jars

During the mummification process, the internal organs and brain were removed. As these would be needed in the afterlife, they were stored in canopic jars. On display, were a series of jars, showing how the designed changed from square boxes, to stone jars.

Canopic chest, Late Period, 722-322 BCE Discover Ancient Egypt in Canberra — Canopic chest, Late Period, 722-322 BCE

Three canopic jars — Canopic chest, Late Period, 722-322 BCE

Burial Goods

To ensure the dead enjoyed the afterlife, the tombs contained objects they would need. This could be as simple as a model of a boat, or a complex diorama showing the making of bread and the brewing of beer, to ensure that these were is plentiful supply.

Winged scarab, representing the rising sun

Tomb statue of Hormin 19th Dynasty, 1290-1213 BCE — Winged scarab, representing the rising sun

What Did We Think?

This was a fantastic exhibition and highly recommended to anyone who likes archaeology or ancient history. Laid out with plenty of detailed descriptions, the displays are amazing. If you’re in Canberra while it’s on, it’s a great way to see Egyptian artifacts without leaving the country.

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21 December 202311 December 2023

Canberra Public Art and Sculptures

Canberra Public Art and Sculptures

Walking through the centre of Canberra we constantly came across statues and other art work. They added some interest to our walks from one place to another and brightened the city up.

We didn’t go out of our way to find them so were happy when we stumbled on them.

Icarus by Jan Brown in Petrie Plaza — Guinness Toucan @King O’Malley’s

Our photos are available for purchase on

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16 September 202319 September 2023

Floriade Canberra 2023

Floriade Canberra 2023

Running from 16 September to 15 October 2023 in Canberra Australia, the annual Floriade flower show is the country’s largest celebration of spring. This year over one million blooms put on an amazing display of colour.

We walked around the displays on the first day they were open, lucky enough to have arranged time off to be in Canberra for the event. Photos do not do justice to the displays or the effort that has gone into preparing them because of the size and diversity of the garden beds.