Subscribe now

Life

Wondrous Curiosities, by Stephanie Moser

By Maggie Mcdonald

19 December 2006

THE British Museum has played a huge role in constructing the world’s view of Egypt’s past. Stephanie Moser shows how the museum came to define Egyptian culture by the way it presented objects to the public. This fascinating exploration looks at the history of some of its iconic treasures and how they ended up at the museum, like the sarcophagus of Nectanebo II, seized from the French as a prize of war. The French, according to the British, were lawless plunderers, while the museum’s aim of bringing the past to the public somehow absolved it of a similar charge.

Wondrous…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop