Trigger Warning: this post mentions ancient practices of mummification and includes images of Egyptian coffins.
So I’ve been seeing advertisements everywhere for an ancient Egyptian exhibition at the Australian Museum in Sydney. Usually, museum exhibitions aren’t really my thing. I have trouble keeping focus on things for a long period of time, especially when I’m not one-hundred percent interested in the topic. I am semi-interested in ancient civilisations, but I’ve never really gone out of my way to read or watch anything on ancient Egypt. So, I thought I’d take a shot here and buy tickets to the Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition.
I don’t remember ever going to the Australian Museum in Sydney, but my first impressions were pretty good. It looked very formal compared to other museums I’ve seen. We lined up and it didn’t take too long before we were let in. Before looking at all the artefacts they had a video overview about the life of Ramses II and the events that occurred during and after his death. It was very interesting to learn about an Egyptian ruler who had so much influence during his time and the future, a Pharaoh I had never heard about until now.
One of the first things I noticed when I walked into the first room of the exhibition, was how busy it was. To be fair, we went on a weekend as well as a public holiday, so this was to be expected. I did feel a little claustrophobic to start with, but once I continued further through to look at all the unique artificers, I started to focus more on the history and stories of each item, rather than the number of people. Now don’t get me wrong, I hate crowds of people. It’s mostly a sensory thing for me when I’m stuck in a closed room with a bunch of strangers. But I kind of forgot about all of that because I was so invested in looking at everything on show.
The exhibition started with a lot of stone artefacts that had either been carved, shaped or painted to celebrate the life of Ramses and other influential leaders. As we went further through it, there were more items from across Egypt. There was also quite a large replica of the Temple Facades, with statues of Ramses, his second “Great Wife” and their children. As we moved even further along we found some beautiful jewellery and amulets. The amount of colour in these necklaces and collars was stunning.
One of the rooms was dedicated to mummification. I found this one very interesting, appealing to my interest in the darker side of ancient civilisations. I know some people would find this room a little gross and icky but I actually found it very beautiful the way the ancient Egyptians would prepare their loved ones and sacred animals for death, so that their spirit was guaranteed a place in the afterlife. This is where I also learnt the significance of certain animals, as cats, crocodiles, scarab beetles and ibises were all symbols of different Egyptian gods. The wall of this room had a range of mummified animals, all representing these sacred deities.
The last room was the star of the exhibition, the long lost coffin of Ramses the Great. It’s a beautiful sarcophagus carved from cedar wood, representing the respect and appreciation his people had for the Pharaoh. It may not look that spectacular now, until you appreciate what time does to such an artifact, and the amount of effort it would have taken to create such a beautiful sculpture thousands of years ago. This coffin is even more unique when you’re reminded that the sarcophagus rarely leaves Egypt. It truly is a unique experience, one which I was so glad to have seen.
At the end of the exhibition, I bought a little wooden scarab beetle from the gift shop to remember the experience I had at the museum. I didn’t just see a bunch of artefacts here, I also learnt so many new facts about Ramses II and the Egyptian civilisation at the time. Did you know that in ancient Egypt, women had the same rights as men, being able to own their own property, appear in legal trials, divorce, and were considered men’s equals under the law. These are the kind of experiences I would have benefited from in school, being able to immerse myself in what I’m learning. Trust me, if you’re interested in anything relating to Egypt, ancient civilisations or rulers, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs at the Australian Museum is a great experience for you.
All photos in this post are taken by me.
The Travel Journal 
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