British Museum
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Great Russell Street
London, England WC1B 3DG
+44 (207) 7323 8299
Editor Pick
The British Museum - Truly a Wonder of the World
One of the greatest things about London is that it houses the treasure trove that is the British Museum.
It’s somewhat hidden away in Bloomsbury. It’s a five-minute walk from Goodge Street, Russell Square, Tottenham Court Rd or Holborn Tube stations. It certainly looks the part – a huge Palladian arcaded building, aping the Parthenon. It truly is a museum, a temple to the muses.
Inside there are over 90 rooms, and you can easily spend an entire day here, as I did on my first visit. I am writing this after my second. This meant that I could home in on my favourite areas. Even so, skimming over the chief exhibits as I had a train to catch, I spent three-and-a-half hours here, and missed out lots.
There are a good selection of displays relating to the early history of the British Isles, as you might expect. These keep being added to year on year. For instance the stunning twisted gold-and-silver torcs of the Snettisham Hoard were only discovered in 2002. Located on the first floor in the south east of the complex the highlights here include treasures from the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo. The star exhibit here would be the ‘Noggin-The-Nog’-style helmet, complete with eyebrows and a rather neat toothbrush moustache. Additionally there is a mosaic from a church in Hinton St Mary in Dorset – it is believed to be the oldest known representation of the face of Christ in the world. Heading north if you are lucky you will find the Lindow Man, a 2000-year-old human body found preserved in a bog. I found him rather hidden away in a corner on my first visit; currently he is on loan to his ‘home-town’ museum in Manchester, where he is displayed just as poorly in my opinion! Further north again, and we find the Vindolanda Tablets, writing tablets from a Roman fort on Hadrian’s Wall. Shopping lists, party invites, leave requests and intelligence reports on the activities of the ‘Britanculi’ (a disparaging diminutive name for the ancient Britons) give an intriguing picture of a town on the very northern edge of the Empire. Sadly Room 41 was undergoing renovation on this visit which meant that the remarkable Lewis Chessmen were not available for view. These are quite spectaular 12th-century walrus-ivory chess pieces found out at the very limits of the British Isles in the Outer Hebrides.
Having travelled to Egypt since my last visit here I found the Egyptian galleries like old friends – a rose granite statue of Amenhotep III, like that in the Luxor Museum, a statue of Menkaure, one of the great Giza pyramid builders (the pyramids being the only remaining standing Wonder of the World of course), another bombastically-sized colossus of the vainglorious Ramses II. Even a bronze cat donated by a certain Major Gayer-Anderson. The prime exhibit is the Rosetta Stone. This provided the first means of translating the history of the pharoahs. Upstairs there is more on domestic life in Egypt. Children will be fascinated by the mummies. In particular there are wall paintings from the Tomb of Nebamun, a priest buried near the Valley of the Kings opposite Thebes.
Back on the ground floor I was lucky enough to note that there would be a free ‘EyeOpener’ tour of the Greek collection. There are several free tours touching on one particular aspect of the collection or other through the day. If I’d been more clever I would have looked out for these advertised at the entrance. Anyway, for the next 50 minutes I listened as we were introduced to the myths of the Greek gods, showed the evolution of sculpture and design, and ended with the three-dimensional horsemen and Olympians of the Parthenon Sculptures (better known as the ‘Elgin Marbles’).
Other Greek highlights are the Nereid Monument a spectacular reconstruction of a tomb from Xanthos in Turkey. You have to crane your neck to look up at it. Another tomb to feature are statues and friezes from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the original Wonders of the World. A third Wonder would be the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and again the museum displays a carved column from said temple. Once more, Greek exhibits continue upstairs. Here too you find the Roman galleries.
Maybe Greek, Egyptians and Romans pall because of their familiarity. I think my favourite exhibits would have to be those of other Near-Eastern cultures. You mustn’t miss Room 6 which is the doorway to the Assyrian exhibits. Literally – flanking the Balawat Gates are gigantic bearded and winged bull gate guardians. Legendary names from the 8th-century BC like Nimrud and Ninevah, Ashurbanipal and Sargon are bandied about here, and I’m ashamed to admit I know little of their history. Though having had my appetite whetted I have resolved to learn more! I want to put these fabulous exhibits in context.
Upstairs once more to find other Near-Eastern cultures – Babylon, Sumeria, Persia. In particular one case holds the Royal Standard of Ur – the first known depiction of wheeled transport – and the frankly gorgeous ‘Ram in the Thicket’. Fashioned of lapis lazuli and gold leaf it depicts a goat climbing into a tree, much as you still see in parched Mediterranean lands today. This beauty dates from around 2600BC!
The exhibits from Babylon and Persia may be missing if you visit soon. The major exhibit upon my visit was ‘Babylon: Myth and Reality’ (£8.00), which shows until 15th March 2009. It will then be replaced by ‘Shah ‘Abbas: the Remaking of Iran’ (£12.00) from 19th February to 14th June 2009. To put on the latter there is a ground breaking exchange of exhibits between the Museum and the Iranian cultural authorities.
Paying £8.00 I ascended the curving staircases to the exhibition. You start by entering into a room framed by the glossy glazed-blue brick reliefs of the main processional way of Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon. Snarling lions and sinuous mushhushshu dragons are depicted thereon. Here stood a further Wonder of the World – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This is the only Wonder where we do not know precisely what form it took, or where it was located. And it is thought that the great central temple with its towering tiers of stone reaching up some 80 metres was mythologised into the Tower of Babel. This is where myth and reality become blurred. It turned out that I knew more about Babylon than I thought I did and that the Bible is a pretty good guide to the history of Babylon; the exhibition relates the truth behind stories such as the Tower of Babel, the sack of Jerusalem, the ‘Babylonian Captivity’ of the Jews (apparently by the rivers of Babylon they did sit down and weep when they remembered Zion!), Daniel, and the ‘writing on the wall’ at Belshazzar’s feast. Finally, the Cyrus Cylinder is the Persian laying down of the law to the conquered city. In promising religious tolerance it is possibly the very first statement of ‘human rights’ in the world.
I think the most interesting aspect of the exhibition was the relation of the myths of Babylon to contemporary culture – whether it is medieval paintings of the fall of Babylon, the beliefs of Rastafarians, or the state’s reappearance in music from Bob Marley, The Ruts, Boney M, or David Grey. Basically ‘Babylon’ is shorthand for two things – depravity and licentiousness, and oppressive authoritarianism. This latter thread stretches from the captivity of the Jews to the beliefs of the Rastafarians, into reggae, thence into punk. And this is why the word ‘babylon’ is street slang for the police!
Glancing at my watch, my time was almost up as I had a train to catch. There was one room in particular I did not want to miss as it had been a huge favourite on my first visit. Room 27 is devoted to the heritage of the Mayans and Aztecs. The best exhibits here (in fact, some of the best in the entire museum) are the glittering turquoise mosaic mask of Tezcatlipoca and a double-headed snake.
This is but a very small overview of a massive and constantly changing collection. The best thing to do is to free a day and wander at leisure and find your own favourites. Or even just pop in for an hour or so whenever you are in the area –entrance is free, so there is no penalty for breaking the collection down into manageable chunks like this!
The galleries are open 10.00 to 17.30 daily, though some are kept open on a rotating basis until 20.30 on Thursday and Friday evenings – see www.britishmuseum.org for further details.
From journal The A-Muse-ment Arcades: Culture on the Cheap
Editor Pick
Antiquities in Time
- November 8, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
tvordj from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
The British Museum is one of the top museums in the world and for good reason. It's main focus is ancient civilizations and the development of civilization in general. It's also one of the oldest museums in the world, opened in 1759 on the site of the current building which was opened in the mid 1800s and it has expanded several times since then. One of the original buildings considered was Buckingham House which later became Buckingham Palace! The British Museum also consisted of an extensive library, originating with the library items donated by King George III. Up until a few years ago, the Library was also part of the building that currently houses the BM but it now has it's own dedicated building near St. Pancras station, a short distance away. The Natural History museum was built to take on the overflow of that facet of the collections. If you've seen the size of that, you can imagine how much space even a portion of it took under one roof with all the other collections.
The British Museum has many very famous items, often brought back from afar during explorations and excursions into places like the South Seas, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Ancient Roman, Greek, Turkish and Absynnian treasures, sculpture, and pieces from tombs and monuments are there. The famed Rosetta Stone that was found by Napoleon's troops in Egypt helped scholars break the code of the hieroglyphics in Egyptian tombs and the Egyptian Mummy collection is probably the best outside of Egypt. You'll need good shoes and stamina to see the whole of the museum's 2 miles of exhibits!
Another popular sight is the aforementioned Rosetta Stone. There are usually crowds around this as well so it's sometimes difficult to get in close to have a look. It's also behind glass so if you're taking photos with a flash, approach it from an angle if you can. The huge Elgin Marbles and other ancient stone work such as the Neried monuments are very interesting and are in larger rooms so crowds don't seem to be as much of an issue.
If sculpture or mummies aren't your thing, they also have loads of drawings and prints including some by the great masters of the art world such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Michaelangelo. There are also galleries representing the rich cultures of Africa, Asia, the South Seas and the Americas. In fact, there's a Haida totem pole from Canada in the Great court! I was rather pleased to see that!
I've been to the museum twice in my visits to London and would like to go again to see more of it. The first time was some years ago and we walked and walked and walked. There's a lot to take in and you probably shouldn't expect to see the whole of it in one go, even with breaks or a light meal in the cafe. Pick what you would like to see the most and plan your route. But check out some of the other galleries too, you might be pleasantly surprised. The Egyptian antiquities galleries are probably the most popular and thus, the most crowded. Go early if you can. It fills up quickly with school groups and tourists.
The second time I went was a couple of years ago. We had hoped to get tickets to the special exhibition about the Chinese Terra Cotta warriors but weren't able to in time. Our stay in London was only brief that time, so we weren't there early to queue for the day-release tickets either. We decided to have a quick look through some of the highlights at least, during a late opening. We did a thorough job of exploring the mummies and other Egyptian items which were really fascinating. The paint and gilding on the caskets is still so bright and vivid, and the hieroglyphics on some of them as clear as if they were written last week. We got a look at the Rosetta Stone and some of the big Greek sculpture, marbles and bronzes as well. One thing that we came across by accident that turned out to be one of my favourite things were these two colossal winged human headed bulls or some sort of mythical animals that were carved in to walls that guarded an Assyrian palace.
The British Museum is free for all but special exhibits will have a cost. You can buy tickets for these online. They are often timed tickets for the really popular shows. There are several gift shops and a cafe and there is a lift as well, for disabled access. The main entrance has a little lift to the side of the stairs and there's a level access around the side on Montague Place. It's open late on Thursday and Friday until 8:30 though the Great Court is accessible later than that on those days. Don't really see the point, though, if the galleries aren't open unless they have something particular going on. There are several options if you want to eat or shop. You are allowed to take photos of anything, as well.
British Museum website.
From journal London and Italy on Tour 1996
British Museum
- January 10, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
TruLuvSap from Bolivar, Missouri
As a girl who had a more than mild obsession with Ancient Egypt finally getting to see the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt as everything I hoped it would be. I was truly glad to be there during the off-season though. Even being there at the end of November the museum was rather crowded, I'd hate to be there during peak tourist season. Still, it was worth wading through all the school children. My advice, take your time, you might even give the museum a couple of days so you can leisurely stroll though the exhibits, and the queue in front of the Rosetta Stone won't be quite as stressful. The British Museum is a must see, and you can't beat free entertainment, especially in a city as expensive as London.
From journal Semester in London
British Museum
- August 15, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
lucinda3 from Alpharetta, Georgia
The British Museum is worth visiting for the architecture alone. It combines classical architecture, with stonework and columns covered by a modern glass dome. It's truly a beautiful space that feels open and airy. In this central area, there are a couple of counters where you can purchase light snacks and beverages. I found it enjoyable to sit at the tables, relax, and take in the design of the building.
It is an extremely large museum, with somewhat disjointed sections. So, pick up a map or ask an attendant if you want to find a particular section.
One of the most notable exhibits is the Rosetta Stone. It is encased in Plexiglas and viewable from both sides.
Best of all, it is free to enter the museum. I felt free to wander through at a leisurely pace. So, if you don't catch it all in one trip, it's easy to go back!
From journal Summertime in London
British Museum
- April 21, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Brubs23 from Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
I have been to London once before, and this was the one destination I had missed that I made sure I saw the second time around. It is definitely worth it. We were there for 2 hours and probably only saw 60% of it. The Africa sections and the Ancient Greece/Rome areas were fascinating. I missed several areas I would like to go back and see, specifically Latin America. There were a significant number of people in the main areas, but due to the museum's large size, the crowds were never a problem.
From journal Visiting Friends in London