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Inside Ancient Egypt
Walk with the Pharaohs
Inside Ancient Egypt combines the Egyptian collection of The Field Museum with
realistic settings of ancient Egyptian life to create a powerful and unforgettable visitor
experience. Visitors engage actively with both objects and ideas: exploring a three-story
Egyptian tomb, walking along a recreated stretch of the Nile River Valley, lifting water
with an Egyptian shaduf, and sampling the culture of an ancient marketplace.
Visitors enter Inside Ancient Egypt through a monumental three-story recreation
of the tomb of Unis-ankh, the son of the 5th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Unis. The
reconstruction is based around original pieces of the tomb, creating two authentic
chamber rooms dating back to 2400 BC. The original walls feature masterfully crafted
reliefs while accompanying new walls are decorated with hieroglyphs made using ancient
methods.
Visitors move from the ground-level of the tomb towards the burial chamber,
where 23 human mummies are on display. Included with the mummies and sarcophagi
are dioramas depicting the full 70-day mummification process. Special objects and
informative displays help visitors understand ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and give
context to the elaborate preparations for death and the afterlife.
The religious life of ancient Egyptians continues through the exhibition at the
shrine of the cat-goddess Bastet. Visitors to Inside Ancient Egypt can enter a recreated
full-size village shrine covered in beautiful votive statues and complemented by an
animal niche cemetery. Egyptians believed the gods could appear in any form including
animals, and this may explain why animals were frequently embalmed after death, just
like their human counterparts. On display are 31 animal mummies including cats, falcons,
even a crocodile.
Inside Ancient Egypt takes visitors into the daily lives of ancient Egyptians. A
Nile Valley scene contains representations of the huge variety of plant and animal life
that made their home near the ancient river. Living so close to the water, boats were an
essential part of the daily lives of ancient Egyptians. Visitors to Inside Ancient Egypt
have a unique opportunity to see The Field Museum’s extremely rare, 4,000-year-old
royal boat which belonged to the powerful Middle Kingdom Pharaoh Sen-Wosret III.
This wooden structure has withstood the test of time and is one of only four on display in
the entire world.
Past the Nile Valley, visitors enter a recreation of an ancient marketplace; a space
that provides especially active, hands-on learning. The marketplace was reconstructed
from authentic market scenes from tomb walls. The colorful marketplace, filled with
aromas of perfumes and other goods, gives visitors a chance to explore and engage in
activities that occurred each day in the market.
Inside Ancient Egypt is a remarkable look into the complex society of the ancient
Egyptians. From Pharaohs to peasants, all aspects of life at this time are revealed with an
unprecedented combination of artifacts, recreations, and interactive activities.
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