Children from two Swansea primary schools have helped bring a 2,500-year-old Egyptian treasure to the city — and their own work is now on display beside it.
Pupils at Terrace Road and St Helen’s primary schools took part in the first Welsh “British Museum in your classroom” scheme, which brings world-class artefacts and learning directly into schools.
As part of the project, the children helped choose an ancient cippus — a carved Egyptian healing statue — from the British Museum‘s collection.
The 2,500-year-old artefact was taken into their classrooms before going on display at Swansea University’s Egypt Centre.
The pupils then created their own array of work exploring ancient healing, belief and everyday life in Egypt, including building their own sarcophagus and producing artwork.
Much of it is now on show as part of the centre’s summer exhibition, Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine, sitting alongside the British Museum loan.
Swansea West MP Torsten Bell, who opened the exhibition, said he had been struck by what the schools produced.
“I have been completely blown away by the imagination and hard work of these two wonderful schools,” he said.
He said seeing the children’s work displayed alongside a statue that had travelled from ancient Egypt via the British Museum was something they should be proud of.
He encouraged local families, residents and visitors to head to the Egypt Centre over the summer to see the exhibition for themselves.
The project is the latest chapter for a centre that has had a busy couple of years.
It reopened in April after a major revamp, including a transformed House of Death gallery with staff and supporters’ names inscribed in hieroglyphs on the ceiling.
That followed a £300,000 Welsh Government funding boost to improve its facilities and let visitors experience the sounds and smells of ancient Egypt.
The Ancient Egypt: Magic and Medicine exhibition runs until 20 September, open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free.
