Egypt in Reading: Stories from the Liverpool Collection
Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
University of Reading, Edith Morley Building
26 February - 5 May 2020

An exhibition exploring the history and legacy of British excavations in Egypt, via a collection purchased for the Museum in 1923.  A digital exhibition complements the Museum display.

FINDING FRANKS: Augustus Wollaston Franks and the British Museum (1851-97) - Some lesser known sources
Marjorie Caygill
Thursday 27 February 2020
6-7 pm, UCL Institute of Archaeology Room 209

Chronicling the life of British Museum Keeper Augustus Wollaston Franks and his importance to the history of the Museum.

 'I took a man over, & began to dig': Catherine Downes' excavation of Roman Warminster, 1786
Madeleine Pelling (York)
19 February 2020
6-7 pm, UCL Institute of Archaeology Room 209

Exploring the history of this 18th century #trowelblazer's excavations which uncovered a Roman mosaic, and revealing the history of women in archaeology at this time. 

Allen Seaby's Archaeology for Children
until 21 February 2020
Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
University of Reading

A temporary display on the children's archaeology books written by Allen Seaby, Professor of Fine Art at University College/University of Reading in the early 20th Century.  Featuring many unpublished illustrations on loan relating to three of Seaby's books: Omrig and Nerla (Bronze Age); The Ninth Legion (Roman); and Alfred's Jewel (Anglo-Saxon). 

Eighty Years (and More) of Sutton Hoo
Room 2, The British Museum

A small exhibition on the 80th anniversary of Sutton Hoo excavations, undertaken on behalf of Mrs Edith Pretty in 1939. Features archives from the original excavation team alongside excavated artefacts.

​More information via curator Sue Brunning's blog post.

Hidden in the Archive: Collectors, Curators and Cataloguers
until 10 September 2019
Open 9-4.30 Tues-Thurs
Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology
University of Reading

An exhibition featuring the stories of ten women who in collecting, curating and cataloguing helped shape the archaeological collections at the University of Reading. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvD8p4n8t10&feature=youtu.be 
More information: https://research.reading.ac.uk/curiosi/collcurcat/

From Shells to Ivory: Hugh Nevill's colonial collecting in Sri Lanka
1 May 2019, 6-7pm
Room 612, UCL Institute of Archaeology

Sushma Jansari (The British Museum) will discuss the life of Hugh Nevill, a 19th century collector of artefacts from Sri Lanka. Some of Nevill's collection is now held in the British Museum.

A Surveillance Sensibility? The imperial security state and the 'amateur' films of Sir C. P. Skrine, Government of India diplomat in Iran
14 March 2019, 6-7 pm
Room 612 UCL Institute of Archaeology

Jonathan Westaway (University of Central Lancashire) will screen Skrine's films showing archaeological sites in Iran, discuss the historical context and value of these films, and explore Skrine's career. 

​Meira Gold (Cambridge) discusses the role of geology in early Egyptology through mid-19th century excavations at Memphis and Heliopolis.

Unlocking the Lawrence Collection
Society of Antiquaries Library
Burlington House
London
Open during Library hours, 10-5 Mon-Fri

A display of photographs taken by archaeologist Thomas Edward Lawrence, later "Lawrence of Arabia" from the Society's collections. The photographs cover Lawrence's cycling holidays in France, during his days as a student at Oxford University. 

Details here.

Ghosts and Fragments in the archive of O. G. S. Crawford
22 January 2019, 6-7 pm
Room 209, UCL Institute of Archaeology

Martyn Barber (Historic England) discusses his research into the archives of British archaeologist Osbert Guy Stanhope Crawford (1886-1957).

Lawrence of Oxford
7 Nov 2018-1 May 2019
Open Wednesdays 2-4.30 pm
Old Library, Magdalen College
Oxford

An exhibition of materials relating to archaeologist and WW1 intelligence-agent Thomas Eric Lawrence "Lawrence of Arabia" and his time and networks at Oxford University.

A series of events will be put on in association with the exhibition.

For further details see the announcement on Magdalen College's website.

Disruptors & Innovators: Journeys in gender equality at UCL
until February 2019
Daily, 9am - 7pm
Octagon Gallery, University College London

An exhibition highlighting key women at UCL in the 19th and 20th centuries and their activities, including suffrage and Egyptology.  

Admission free. Further details here.

Hieroglyphs from the Trenches: Thomas Eric Peet and WW1
28 November 2018, 6-7 pm
Room 209, UCL Institute of Archaeology

Clare Lewis (UCL Institute of Archaeology) discusses the wartime experiences of Thomas Eric Peet, an Egyptologist who joined the British army in 1915. This experience is revealed through his correspondence home - including letters to his daughter illustrated by animated hieroglyphs. 

Photographing Tutankhamun
​until 23 September 2018
South Lecture Room
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 
Cambridge

Curated by Dr Christina Riggs, the exhibition reveals the history and symbolism of Harry Burton's iconic photographs of the discoveries made in Tutankhamun's tomb in the early 1920s.

Website here.

Rodin and the art of ancient Greece
until 29 July 2018
The British Museum
Bloomsbury, London

An exhibition on how the art of classical Greece, particularly the Parthenon Marbles at the British Museum, influenced the work of late 19th century French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

​Tickets required; webpage here.

The Past is Present: becoming Egyptian in the 20th century
Room 3, until 22 July 2018
The British Museum

A temporary exhibition featuring objects the Museum has been collecting over the past few years representing Modern Egypt. The show features objects relating to early 20thC tourism and Egyptian life. Free admission. 

Webpage here.

From skull measurements to ancient DNA: putting John Thurnam’s collection of antiquities in their prehistoric and archaeological context
24 April 2018, 6-7pm
Room 209, UCL Institute of Archaeology

Neil Wilkin (The British Museum) explores the life and intellectual context of 19th century antiquarian and physician John Thurnam, whose collection of artefacts relating to the prehistory of Britain was sold after his death to the British Museum. Through his interest in ancient human remains, he drew conclusions about race and identity; a history that reflects an enduring interest in the DNA of ancient peoples and how that interest ties into modern concerns.

Neil Wilkin's blog post discussing various strands of the talk can be found here.

In the footsteps of maverick Orientalists: Exploring the Royal Asiatic Society Archive

13 March 2018, 6-7pm
Room 209, UCL Institute of Archaeology

Nancy Charley (RAS archivist) and Ed Weech (RAS Librarian) discuss key British Orientalists: Thomas Manning (1772-1840); Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) and Lady Isabel Burton (1831-1896); and Oscar Eckenstein (1859-1921).