Coming Soon: This Huge Ancient Egypt Exhibition Is Bringing 200-Plus Objects to Queensland Museum

When museums come to mind, so do two things typically found within their walls. Dinosaurs tend to feature across their halls of knowledge. Digging into humanity's past as well, so do ancient artefacts. Accordingly, it should come as little surprise that Brisbane's Queensland Museum started off 2024 embracing prehistoric creatures — albeit in Lego form — and that it will now end it with a big showcase of objects spanning 3000 years of Egyptian history.

Hailing from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, and already featuring at the Western Australian Museum in 2023, then the National Museum of Australia in Canberra since late the same year, Discovering Ancient Egypt now has a date with southeast Queensland. When it opens on Friday, October 25, the showcase will be filled with highlights, especially if you're interested in how ancient Egyptians approached the afterlife.

Among its 200-plus items, five sarcophaguses will be on display, as will painted funerary coffins and papyrus sheets from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Discovering Ancient Egypt isn't just concerned with rituals and beliefs around dying, however, with the daily lives of ancient Egyptians, as well as their innovations, also a focus.

When it arrives in Brisbane, complete with carved statues from the Saqqara necropolis as well, Queensland Museum expects the exhibition to be a hit — because diving into Egypt's history always is for the institution. In fact, this type of blast from the past has proven among the ten most-popular exhibitions at the venue.

Another highlight that'll display alongside Discovering Ancient Egypt: 34 pottery vessels from Queensland Museum's antiquities collection that hail from necropolis of Esna, as unearthed by British archaeologist John Garstang.

"Whether you're an avid history fan, a curious explorer, or simply seeking an unforgettable cultural experience, we're delighted to host Discovering Ancient Egypt before it returns to the Netherlands," said Queensland Museum CEO Dr Jim Thompson.

"It has been inspiring to see the dedication, passion and enthusiasm that our Australian colleagues have brought to transforming this exhibition into something truly unique and exemplary," added Dr Wim Weijland, Director of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities.

Discovering Ancient Egypt displays at Queensland Museum Kurilpa, corner of Grey and Melbourne streets, South Bank, South Brisbane, from Friday, October 25, 2024. Head to the venue's website for more information and to join the ticket waitlist.