ARGUMENT……………………………………..…3 THE BRITISH MUSEUM…………………………..4 THE EGYPTIAN GALLERY………………………5 THE MUMMY GALLERY……….…………..5 THE ROSETTA STONE……………………...7 THE BRONZE AGE GALLERY ………..………....8 LINDOW MAN……………………..………...8 THE ROMANS…………………………..……9 EXHIBITS ORIGINATED IN BRITAIN…….……10 THE AFRICAN GALLERY ……………..………...11 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………….12 2
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ARGUMENT……………………………………..…3
THE BRITISH MUSEUM…………………………..4
THE EGYPTIAN GALLERY………………………5
THE MUMMY GALLERY……….…………..5
THE ROSETTA STONE……………………...7
THE BRONZE AGE GALLERY ………..………....8
LINDOW MAN……………………..………...8
THE ROMANS…………………………..……9
EXHIBITS ORIGINATED IN BRITAIN…….……10
THE AFRICAN GALLERY ……………..………...11
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………….12
2
ARGUMENT
The British Museum is the oldest, and one of the largest museums in the world. Where
else can you see some of the greatest treasures of all time under one roof? You will be
fascinated by the Egyptian Mummies, and inspired by the superb exhibition of prints and
drawings which changes several times a year. The British Museum is a vast storehouse of
treasures.
Six million people visit the British museum every year, making it London's greatest
tourist attraction. It was built in the first half of the nineteenth century, at a time when Britain's
empire building activities were putting more and more peoples and lands under British
control. This was also a period of incredible curiosity in many different areas including
science, technology and history. The military and economic strength of the country allowed
private collectors and the government to amass first rate collections of artifacts from many of
the world's major civilizations, including the Rosetta stone from Egypt, the Elgin marbles from
the Parthenon in Greece, statues and tablets from Mesopotamia as well as Mayan and other
cultural items from Central America.
Today, the British Museum is home to no less than six and a half million objects and
has ninety four permanent and temporary exhibition galleries. An Education Department
provides a wide range of services for adults and children. Other departments are Coins and
Medals, Egyptian Antiquities, Ethnography, Greek and Roman Antiquities, Japanese Art,
Medieval and Later Art, Oriental Antiquities, Pre-Historic and Romano-British Antiquities,
Prints and Drawings, and Western Asiatic Antiquities.
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The heart of London is home to one of the
greatest collections of antiquities the world has ever
seen. The museum was born in 1753 then held at a
different site. The British Museum as we know it today
was built at the end of the XIX century for an aristocrat,
who wanted a country home at the edge of the town.
Today, more than 6 million visitors pour through these doors each year to view some of the 7
million items in 20 different galleries. The inner court yard at the British Museum was hidden
to the public from 1867, but its reopen in 2000, created the largest, covered, public square in
London. Almost a hector in size, the space was designed by Lord Norman Foster and features
an extraordinary computer-designed glass and steel roof.
The 11 kilometer of steel sustains 350 tones of glass. The central reading room is being
wrapped in limestone and surrounded by shops and cafes. By day, the interplay of light and
shape transforms the space in which the old and the new coexist in a perfect balance. As
darkness falls, it becomes an arena of drama and mystery.
The museum was opened in 1759 under its present
name in Montague House, but the acquisition of the library of
George III in 1823 necessitated larger quarters. The first
wing of the new building was completed in 1829, the
quadrangle in 1852, and the great domed Reading Room in
1857. Later, other additions were built. Long a part of the
museum, the British Library was established as a separate
entity by act of Parliament in 1973 and moved to new
London quarters in 1997. After the relocation of the library, the famous Reading Room
underwent extensive renovations, including the opening (2000) of a surrounding glassed-in
Great Court and the installation of a billowing transparent roof, both designed by Lord Norman
Foster . The space houses a gallery and a restaurant, as well as two small theaters and an