Bolton Museum will host its first Egypt Summer Study Day “All About Mummification” in July this year.
Expert Egyptologists will be providing lectures and practical workshops.
Bolton’s Egypt team at Bolton Museum is excited to invite all those fascinated with Egyptology to attend its first ever study day dedicated to the ancient subject.
Attendees can take advantage of local food discounts on the day from the Bolton Library’s new Crescent Café, or the nearby Odessa Café. There is also the option to book a set lunch in advance with full-day tickets.
The “All About Mummification” Egypt Study Day will take place on Saturday 13 July 2024.
The study day will focus on two key strengths of the museum’s Egypt collection, which is the largest of its kind in a local authority museum in the UK.
These will be its mummification and burial textiles, featuring the work of the University of York’s Mummy Research Group.
Co-founded by Dr Stephen Buckley and Prof Joann Fletcher, this research group has studied aspects of the Bolton Egypt collection for over 35 years, making numerous discoveries, including the world’s oldest evidence for Egyptian mummification - based on the analysis of textiles in Bolton’s collection and the likely royal lineage of the Unknown Man, a mummified body housed within the Thutmose III burial chamber gallery.
What to expect on the day:
Entertaining lectures and engaging workshops throughout with talented Egyptology experts, who will allow you to get up close to real, ancient Egyptian objects in Bolton’s famous collection.
The schedule is as follows:
9.30am ARRIVAL drinks and registration
10am Welcome and Introduction, with Ian Trumble
10.20am Lecture 1 - The History of Mummification, with Prof Joann Fletcher
11.20am Comfort Break
11.40am Practical Session 1
12.30pm LUNCH
1.30pm Practical Session 2
2.20pm Practical Session 3
3.10pm Comfort Break
3.30pm Lecture 2 - The Science of Mummification, with Dr Stephen Buckley
4.30pm Film - Mummifying Alan
6pm FINISH
6pm- 7pm Drinks Reception in the Bolton's Egypt Galleries
Prof Joann Fletcher introduces the History of Mummification in the first lecture of the day, after which, she will lead an Object Handling and Examination workshop with real ancient Egyptian objects from Bolton’s collection.
Curator of Archaeology, Egyptology and World Cultures at Bolton Museum, Ian Trumble will lead a workshop on Mummification Textiles and Wrappings using digital microscopy and real mummy wrappings.
Dr Stephen Buckley will lead a third workshop on Mummification Recipes and Mixtures, producing mummification resins using ingredients identical to the ancient Egyptians.
He will round off the day with a lecture on the Science of Mummification, followed by an exclusive screening of the award-winning documentary, Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret.
Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub, explains how the museum’s first dedicated Egypt Study Day came to fruition, alongside the town’s recent award for Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture 2024:
“Bolton Museum has a 140-year history of working with international experts in Egyptology and making this world-leading research accessible to the public.
“In this year, both the 140th Anniversary of Bolton Museums and Bolton’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, we wanted to do something special.
“The study day is open to absolutely anyone with an interest in ancient Egypt, and you can get hands-on with real ancient material, learning direct from the experts.
“Bolton has an amazing collection that deserves to be accessed, and events like this are going to give access to ancient Egypt like nowhere else in the country.”
The Study Day will conclude with after-hours wine, nibbles, and chats with the experts in the Bolton’s Egypt galleries themselves.
Lunch options:
Attendees can book a set lunch for £5 in advance when purchasing their full-day tickets or can benefit from nearby lunch discounts on the day from the Crescent Café inside Bolton Library, or Odessa Café.
Pricing and booking:
Pricing
£45 Full Day (Includes all lectures and workshops)
£10 Lectures Only
£5 Single Lecture
How to book
To book for the Full Day, Lectures Only or Single Lecture, you can do so in person at the Bolton Museum Shop, 1st Floor, Le Mans Crescent, or you can book over the phone with your credit card by calling 01204 332211.
For more information, see Bolton Library and Museum’s event link here: Bolton's Egypt Summer Study Day 2024 - All About Mummification – Bolton Libraries and Museums (boltonlams.co.uk).
You can also contact the event leader, Ian Trumble at ian.trumble@bolton.gov.uk.
CAUTIONARY NOTE: The study day deals extensively with human remains and aspects of death throughout. Attendee discretion is advised.
About Bolton Library and Museum Services
A cultural hotspot of Bolton, the Bolton Central Library and Museum hosts eclectic events, galleries, and collections, one of which is in its Egyptology collections- the largest of its kind in a local authority museum in the UK. You will also find Greater Manchester’s only public aquarium sits inside this architecturally impressive, Grade II listed building. With venues across the whole town, including the historic Smithills Hall, Bolton’s Library and Museum Services keeps active with special events, exhibitions, sessions, and social groups across the town’s libraries and halls; helping to engage, educate and support communities.
To find out more about Bolton’s libraries and museums and what’s on, visit: www.boltonlams.co.uk.