Past exhibitions

The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial

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National Museum of Scotland

About The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial

The Tomb presented the story of one extraordinary tomb, built around 1290BC and reused for over 1000 years.

The Tomb was constructed in the great city of Thebes shortly after the reign of Tutankhamun for the Chief of Police and his wife. It was looted and reused several times, leaving behind a collection of beautiful objects from various eras. These are displayed alongside objects found in nearby tombs, giving a sense of how burial in ancient Egypt changed over time.

The Tomb’s final use occurred shortly after the Roman conquest of Egypt, when it was sealed intact with the remarkable burials of an entire family. The exhibition came ahead of the new Ancient Egypt gallery, which opened at the National Museum of Scotland in 2019.

Exhibition highlights

Visitor views

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