Athens' National Archaeological museum opened on Wednesday a unique exhibition featuring a large ancient Egyptian collection containing more than 1,100 items, and which the museum says is one of the largest collection of such artifacts in the world. (There are an additional 6,000 items in storage.)
Due to Egypt's dry and hot climate, several organic materials such as food, wood and leather remained intact for thousands of years; where in other climates those materials would have dissolved years ago.
Some of the special items in the vast exhibit include: a 3,000 year old brown loaf of bread (with a small piece missing out of it), intact birds' eggs, a wooden body tag for a mummy, and a stunning bronze statue of a princess.
Most of the items were donated to Greece over 100 years ago from members of the Greek community of Alexandria. Ties between Egypt and Greece go back nearly 4,000 years to the Minoan period in Greece.
DF: Sounds like a very cool exhibit. It will be part of the museum's permanent collection. Another thing to do now when in Athens.
Canadian Press
National Archaeological Museum of Greece
Alexandria
posted on Thursday, May 15