A Museum of Distinction

A Museum of Distinction

With a vast collection of artefacts, the museum at Macquarie University serves as a dynamic teaching resource, including a fascinating Egyptian coffin set for future scientific exploration.

Suzette HartwellMar 20, 2023, 12:47 AM

With a diverse collection of more than 7000 artefacts spanning from predynastic

The museum is a teaching facility where Macquarie University academics can teach archaeology to undergraduate and postgraduate students using real artefacts as their source. The museum also offers education programs for primary and secondary students of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, as well as the broader, interested community. 

One of the many highlights of the museum is an ancient Egyptian Late Period wooden coffin, possibly of cedar and blackened with excessive resins, which, unfortunately, obscure any possible script underneath. It protects the mummy of a young male aged around 20 years, according to X-rays taken in the 1930s. Plans are underway for the body to be the subject of noninvasive biological scientific testing in the future. It is hoped that MRI scanning can confirm gender, condition of the body, help to inform of any diseases present at the death of the individual and show up any inclusions in the wrappings such as protective amulets. 

The museum’s collection is expanding each year with purchases, loans from other institutions, excavations and from generous donations and benefactors. 

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