PRICELESS artifacts older than Stonehenge are set to go on display today as part of a high profile exhibition in the North East.
The Great North Museum in Newcastle is playing host to the largest ever collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts ever to leave the British Museum.
The museum, which was formerly called the Hancock, has a permanent display of ancient Egyptian treasures.
But the latest temporary exhibition concentrates of the life of the rulers of the ancient kingdom. Pharaoh: King Of Egypt aims to debunk some of the myths surrounding the rulers of the African country and highlight how they lived their day to day lives.
The exhibition is a joint venture between the Great North Museum and the British Museum.
Gill Scott, Egyptologist at Tyne and Wear Archives was instrumental in putting the exhibition together.
She said: “We have some items on display which are usually housed in the British Museum but we also have things from their stores.
“It was a wonderful moment in my career to go in there and have a look around.
“Some of the items we have here haven’t been seen by the public for 100 years.”
Among the more prominent items is an 8ft wooden Tomb Guardian which also happens to be one of Gill’s favourites.
She said: “When I first saw it, it was being cleaned.
“I started to look at its feet and raised my head and was amazed. To be able to see up close items which date back before the time of Christ and before Stonehenge is a real privilege.
“Things this old really do defy logic. We’re so lucky that sculptures, writings and engravings have lasted this long.”
Today’s exhibition opening will see visitors being able to tuck into a specially commissioned Pharaoh cake and see history brought to life by a group called the Time Bandits.
The group are all local history teachers who dress in character and interact with visitors.
Dr Neal Spencer, curator of Egyptology at the British Museum, will be spending the weekend at the museum and giving a talk on Monday night.
He said: “It’s the largest exhibition outside of London and we have worked jointly with the Great North Museum.
“The British Museum is exactly that, for all of Britain, and it is important we tour with exhibitions.”
Pharaoh: King of Egypt runs until September 25.
