Elizabeth Frood talks about the colourisation process of Tutankhamun in Colour & creation myths flagged by @photograph_tut in retellings of the discovery. Nothing surpasses an encounter with the objects themselves - & there are so many stories we will explore today #PerformingTut
Next @RichardParkins5 talks about @bodleianlibs#ExcavatingtheArchive exhibition - moving beyond imperial nostalgia & the ‘Downton Abbey’ popular gold approach. Looking at the archives. Shifting the paradigm from treasure to a much more complex historical process. #PerformingTut
Interesting reflections from colleagues in the the #PerformingTut roundtable that excavations happened within their own time, we can’t judge it in black & white. What we can do now is move on - both learning from the past & uncovering/articulating more stories.
There is a role for #Tutankhamun in Assassin’s Creed as the restorer of order in contrast with the Heretic King Akhenaten. Only meaningful in relation to each other. Based on scholarship perspectives but an agenda as part of the game. #PerformingTut@KingMaiken
Use of the mask to identify Tutankhamun as recognisable but the strong & powerful depiction is not true to reality though necessary for the powerful avenger persona in the game. #PerformingTut
Reception upon reception. The mummy as avenger is based on Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra. The curse theme serves as a critique of tomb robbery & theft of antiquities. #PerformingTut@KingMaiken
Interesting results in terms of dwell times, engagement & interest for younger demographics. Mixed reality can enhance the museum experience. #PerformingTut@DrRamyHammady
A challenge posed around the use of these sorts of technologies for improved experience & engagement in the future by @DrRamyHammady#PerformingTut
Last talk in this session is about SEN friendly, interactive & affordable portable resources for KS2 to teach about Howard Carter. Active rather than passive learning. Child-led. A mix of props & replicas as clues. Group work. Story focused. #PerformingTut
Engaging with key replicas & props that serve as prompts for discussion - keys (carter’s temperament), trowel (archaeologists), paint (artist), seed (canary), candle etc.. #PerformingTut
Opportunity also to teach chronology. Engage with ideas from the past (telegram - time taken to wait, exclusivity of Times & challenge with this, curse origin…). Engaged kids producing their own records. Challenge - how do we bring in other voices in the future? #PerformingTut
Supplementary activities - putting themselves in the position. Next steps - outreach. Work with correspondents, creative writing. #PerformingTut
Here’s a few books we’ve enjoyed that connect to the topic for kids #PerformingTut
Next up today - the session on Readers, Writers & Consumers #PerformingTut - is kicked off by Jose dad Candeias Sales & Susana Mota on Tutankhamun in Portugal
News reported in Portuguese press, during period of national political challenge, is assessed. Much was sent from elsewhere. Seeming disinterest but contradicted by the space given by newspapers to it. Focus on ‘Know the Past, ‘Cherish the Past’ & ‘Fear the Past’ #PerformingTut
First - know facts, gaps etc… 2nd - cherish the past - looking at beauty of objects, great archaeology, excitement & engagement of public. Profusion of images. #PerformingTut
Finally topic - ‘fear the past’ - used a lot… mysteries, superstition, revenge, threat, magic etc… the curse narrative associated with fear, revenge & desecration. #PerformingTut
Tutankhamun was a means through which the Portuguese engaged with Ancient Egypt & brought it closer & into arts & culture. #PerformingTut
Next is @KamaBraulinska on the babies in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Lots of newspaper coverage on the topic & the relationship to Tutankhamun. Also reference to @MaidstoneMuseum finding of a child rather than a hawk in their collection through scanning. #PerformingTut
Story at @MaidstoneMuseum went viral similarly a case at @swanseamuseum - another case also went viral of a ‘pregnant mummy’ (not the case) in Poland. Resonance with the discoveries in Tutankhamun’s tomb. #PerformingTut
Some reports prefer the sensation to the truth in these stories. The two children from the tomb are an intriguing influence on both science and media. #PerformingTut
Final presentation in this section @SummerRose721 from @UCLarchaeology on the commodification & branding of Tutankhamun - beginning with the exclusive contract with the Times. Made ‘Tut’ a Western product to sell. Spink and Sons auction - first to capitalise. #PerformingTut
Characteristics of some recent Blockbusters. Overtly political, targeted to large audience, aesthetics & power/drama, multiple locations, sponsorship, media coverage, narrative, exclusivity. Associated with sales of products - highly curated. Tut can be bought. #PerformingTut
Subject of parties, special access, re-enactments, exclusivity. Drama, exclusivity, commercialisation. Tut can be obtained for the right price. This continues into the international auction market. Auction as performance & marketplace for re-telling #PerformingTut
Even tenuous connections to Tutankhamun can add premiums to auctions. Tut™️ has become a brand. Presented as a common heritage, luxury, commodity. Tut as separated from Tutankhamun. Images of gold, treasure - commanding high prices. #PerformingTut
Final session of the #PerformingTut afternoon - Artistic responses, past and present. On ‘Revenge of the Pharaohs: the lost 1924 film biography of Howard Carter’. Daniel also researches the misuse of Ancient Egypt in Third Reich narratives. #PerformingTut
Carnarvon v interested in the idea of a motion picture but this disappeared after his death. Filmmakers capitalised on the interest. Often looking to the bible. Props to hand included copies of Nefertiti’s bust from Berlin & copies of Tutankhamun’s tomb furniture #PerformingTut
There was a major film created with Carter & Carnarvon as a subject but not naming them because of rights. #PerformingTut
A story of the wealthy lord who travels to Egypt & is permitted to excavate, including Egyptian nationalists who try to stop the digging. #PerformingTut
The film is sadly lost but stills fortunately exist… a story of nationalists trying to thwart an excavation, discovery of treasure, a love story, fighting etc.. #PerformingTut
The attention to detail from the tomb is meticulous. (Picture 3). #PerformingTut
Reference to the ITV recent ‘biographical’ story (inaccurate as it was) follows in the vein of the narrative about the discover through the eyes of Carter, Carnarvon & Evelyn. #PerformingTut
Next up is Deena Mohamed, an Egyptian comic writer - her graphic novel is about bottles with wishes you can buy from the cheap to the expensive, granting wishes from the inferior to first class. In the story a relative investigates the genesis of the product. #PerformingTut
Deena talks about the influence of @EgyptianMuseumC on her work. School children go to the museum, learn about the discovery but less about the tomb & Tutankhamun himself. Did a lot of visual research including videos. #PerformingTut@itsdeenasaur
Fictional world had to be an agglomeration - not specific to a particular pharaoh. Used Seti/Ramessides for scale. Egyptologists in 1950s - fictional - can remove items but not bodies. Discover not perfume but a wish mine. #PerformingTut
Great to bring the story back to an Egyptian origin for the wishes at the end of the trilogy & also go & see the tomb itself after finishing the book. #PerformingTut@itsdeenasaur
Finally Sara Sallam, Egyptian artist based in the Netherlands. Reflecting on the version of Egypt she met in Europe. Observation journey. Contradictory themes coexisting together. Eg nature of the cemetery & different experiences & behaviours depending on age. #PerformingTut
Using collage focused on her grandmother Sara explored by projecting images into ancient contexts the differing treatment of these memorials. Do we really perceive the ancients as human ancestors to be mourned? #PerformingTut
This led to more academic work on dehumanisation of mummies via photos and film. #PerformingTut
Film essays accompany chapters & look at the reinvigoration of the mummy as either to be feared, a pitiful creature to be controlled, then mummy as monster. A 2nd death as mummy on screen - devoid of emotion from mummy. Requires little empathy from us. #PerformingTut
Next she focuses on a mummy’s perspective on their own treatment using a film essay of reflection. #PerformingTut
The latest work “I prayed for the Resin not to Melt” will be here sarasallam.com along with her other work #PerformingTut
A fantastic, energising afternoon at #PerformingTut - lots of food for thought & research & some refreshing research & perspectives. Thanks to the organisers @EllieCDobson@UoBEgyptology Spice enjoyed it too. 🐈⬛
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Something a little different today. Joining the @ifrauk & @odeuropa for a day looking at #olfactoryheritage and why our intangible olfactory heritage matters. Also context of ratification of the convention on intangible cultural heritage. Great to share a table with @chattyplatty
A call for better storytelling about the history of smell & why olfactory heritage matters. We will be looking at the value of UK ‘smellscapes’ & importance of aroma in museums & heritage venues. We will be looking at perfume heritage in the U.K. #olfactoryheritage
First session this morning - #olfactoryheritage & why it matters with @UniOfYork & @ucl - you can access one of Will’s books here library.oapen.org/bitstream/hand…
Good morning from an exciting day ahead celebrating architectural heritage from 1975 to 2025 & ahead to 2075. Hosted by @HTF_ @Historic_Houses @SAVEtoReuse with @ArchHFund Europa Nostra UK @KingsFdn & @Heritage_NGOs - our morning kicks off with Dan Cruickshank. 🧵
Dan says 1975 was an astonishing year for conservation. Council of Europe statement & @SAVEtoReuse report on state of architecture. There were student led riots demonstrating against politics & the established order, big business, big development. General strike. Age of protest.
People mobilised around things they believed was right. This included buildings & places. Public support crucial in unlocking change. Battle to save Covent Garden. Both market & the working communities. Protests on streets. Success. Buildings are able to adapt. Look at it now.
Kicking off a day with @Historic_Houses at @Sothebys celebrating & reflecting on the 75th Anniversary of the Gowers Report & the formation of the Waverley Committee. Looking at lessons for today. 🧵
Our keynote, shadow Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson reflects on the need for more sense of history in decision-making. The departure to America of the Blue Boy in the 20s led to public emotion & 90k visitors to its farewell - there was a need to tackle the issue: Waverley
Part of the challenge - acquisition budgets to save items for the nation. Inventive thinking including recent sharing of a Reynolds will be needed in the future. bbc.com/news/entertain…
Out and about today for @Heritage_NGOs in Bath & Bristol. Our first stop of the day - @FairfieldHouse_ home to Emperor Haile Selassie I & now a lively, sacred & historic place of importance for many communities including Ethiopians, Rastafari & Bath residents. 🧵
We chatted to a local charity group who work at Fairfield each fortnight, sewing bags to sell for good causes. A great example of heritage hosting creativity & wellbeing activities. Also on site is the Windrush Centre with an exhibition of community donated items.
So many fascinating connections from WW2 to Selassie to Pankhurst. @FairfieldHouse_ is gradually amassing collections including Selassie’s pianola
Here at the @ACEnterprises awards this evening. It was a real privilege to be a judge this year. First up - great to see our member @DelapreAbbey win catering initiative of the year & @nationaltrust win best e-commerce initiative
Next @The_Globe win best event with inclusive Anthony & Cleopatra. Best publication to @britishlibrary with @ShakespeareBT running up. Best venue hire is @glasgowlife & best ticketing initiative @FoundlingMuseum. Best licensing initiative @nationaltrust for collab w/ Craghoppers
Good also to see @AshmoleanMuseum & @EnglishHeritage running up. The best visitor experience is @GrimmAndCo, the best retail initiative is @MuseumoftheHome, the marketing campaign of the year goes to @CastleHowardEst
Emma & I explored @Heritage_NGOs member via @unibirmingham @winterbournehg today. An arts & crafts house & botanical garden. Come & have a look inside…