A student's view - behind the scenes at Manchester Museum

Posted on: 18 November 2016 by Ellis Cuffe in 2016 posts

First of all, a big thank you to everyone that came on our trip and also to Dr. Campbell Price at Manchester Museum for taking us around and putting up with us all afternoon!

I'm currently studying for an MA in Ancient History and last month I had an absolutely fantastic day out at the museum with SACE (Society of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology).

When we arrived at the museum, we waited with trepidation for Dr. Price, the Curator of Egypt and Sudan (not only a University of Liverpool Alumnus but also, in former years, a SACE president no less), to show us what the museum had to offer. Dr. Price first let us have a look in the deepest and most dark recesses of the museum’s storerooms and archives.

We saw rooms upon rooms full of expertly painted and enormous Greek drinking vessels, of Roman slave-chains and bronze diplomas, as well as Manchester Museum’s much-coveted store of Egyptian mummies and sarcophaguses.

It seems like everyone had an amazing time on the trip - even if some people did unfortunately get hidden behind the giant obelisk in this photo!

Next, we were allowed to roam freely within the museum’s exhibitions and galleries. I don’t care what anyone else tells you, the Roman sarcophagus portraits are amazing and are the best things in the whole museum (or are at least amongst my favourites). Definitely a must see!

‌Finally, we all trundled up to the museum’s new Collections Study Centre where we got hands-on experience with some of the Museum’s artefacts. Here, Dr. Price gave us ample opportunity to engage with these objects of material culture, as well as providing a comprehensive and enjoyable lesson about them.

Dr Campbell Price shows us artefacts up close

Another favourite, from the handling session anyway, was the amazingly rare inscribed chariot harness. I’d simply not seen anything quite it like it before and to be trusted to not break it was alone a privilege.

Anyway, enough of me blabbering on - I'll let some of the others speak for themselves!

The museum trip was a wonderful chance for members of SACE, be they newer undergraduate students or returning postgraduate students, to get to know each other and other members of the wider archaeological and Egyptology community in the north west.  - Christopher Bebbington, University of Liverpool alumnus

I found it really interesting to be able to handle the artefacts. It really helped me to visualise a lot of the course content.” - Kristina Lockyer, undergraduate student

‌The unique opportunity to handle artefacts and to visit the museum's stores, with a character as vibrant and inspirational as Dr. Price proved to be a fantastic experience provided by the society and its professional links. I look forward to the next trip! - Connor Thompson-Webb, MA student (And one of our designated photographers!)

 All photos by Liam Joelson and Connor Thompson-Webb.