Marischal Museum
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Marischal Museum
University of Aberdeen
Marischal College
Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1YS
Scotland
Telephone +44-(0)1224-274301
Fax +44-(0)1224-274302
Web pages http://www.abdn.ac.uk/marischalmuseum
HISTORY
Originally opened in 1786, the museum was re-established in 1907 as the University’s Anthropological Museum drawing together a number of University collections, including those of the Archaeological Museum of King’s College, the Wilson Museum and ethnographic material housed in Marischal College. Donations from graduates and friends of the University since the later 19th and 20th century have resulted in a collection of international importance, augmented in 1997 by the addition of the University’s Fine Art collection. The collections now consist of five major elements, each consisting of a number of collecting areas: Scottish history and archaeology, European, Mediterranean and Near Eastern archaeology, Non-Western ethnography, Fine Art and Numismatics.
Important sources of material from Egypt are are the Robert Wilson bequest, 1871 (almost 200 
pieces), and over 2000 items (inc. 1100 scarabs) from the collection of Dr. James Grant (Bey), 1897; the latter was a medical graduate of the University and physician at the court of the khedive of Egypt. Further material comes from excavations by Garstang and the Deutsche Forschung Gesellschaft and from the Hasluck, Henderson and Reid donations. A number of objects not presented at the time were donated to the University by Grant’s descendant Mrs. Gordon Morrice, 1948. In 1996, some 400 Egyptian antiquities and associated items collected by Joseph Pollard were donated by a descendant.
THE COLLECTION
The collection includes a very wide range of high quality material. Pieces of special interest include the statue of the scribe Rahotep, the shabti box of Montu, a commemorative scarab of Amenhotep III; four Graeco-Roman period human mummies; the collection of pre-dynastic materials; scarabs and items from the el-Kharga Oasis. The museum also possesses casts, squeezes, old photographs and manuscripts of Egyptological interest but they have not yet been fully catalogued.
Objects are known to have come from the following locations in Egypt (with the name of the excavator/sponsor and year of excavation given where possible): Abydos (Petrie - Egypt Exploration Fund, donated 1902-1904); el-Amrah (Mace and MacIver - Egypt Exploration Fund, 1899-1901); Badari (Brunton - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1920-1924); Oxyrhynchus (Egypt Exploration Fund, c. 1902-1904, probably Grenfell and Hunt); Gerzeh (Petrie et al. - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1910-11); Gizeh (Petrie - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, c. 1909-1911); Harageh (Engelbach - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1912-1914); Hawara (Petrie et al. - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1909-1911); El Hibeh (Grenfell and Hunt, Egypt Exploration Fund, 1902-1904); Kharga Oasis; Meydum (Petrie et al. - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1909-1911); Gurob (Brunton and Engelbach - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1920-1921); Memphis (Petrie and Mackay - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1909-1911); Shurafa (Engelbach and Petrie - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1911-1912); Antaeopolis (Petrie - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1922-1924); Riqqeh (Engelbach et al. - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1912-1914); Saqqarah (Emery - Egypt Exploration Society, 1969); Sedment (Petrie and Brunton - British School of Archaeology in 
Egypt, 1920-1921); Tarkhan (Petrie et al. - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1912-1914); Thebes, including Qurna (Petrie - British School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1909-1911); Deir el-Bahari (Naville - Egypt Exploration Fund, 1902-1904). Objects are known to have come from the following locations in Sudan (with the name of the excavator/sponsor and year of excavation given where possible): Napata in museum records, but given the years and excavator probably Faras (Griffith - Oxford University, 1912-1913); Sanam (Griffith - Oxford University, 1912-1913).
STAFF
The permanent staff of the Museum consists of a Senior Curator, Senior Curator (Conservation) and a Museum Assistant assisted by volunteer Honorary Curatorial Assistants and other staff on short-term contracts. There are no specialist Egyptian archaeology staff, though both Senior Curators have relevant related experience and knowledge.
ACTIVITIES
A selction of material from Egypt is on permanent display in the exhibition ‘Collecting the World’ which explores the lives of those collectors whose interests and travels took them all over the world and the people from whom they collected. Both James Grant Bey and Rbert Wilson are featured in the exhibition, which can also be seen online at www.abdn.ac.u/virtualmuseum. A selection of items, including all those on display, can be studied on the related website www.abdn.ac.uk/museumsearch (search for ‘Egypt’).
The museum also has a regular programme of temporary exhibitions, occasionally including Egyptian archaeologivcal material, while the evening lecture programme now includes two lectures devoted ot Ancient Egypt in association with Egyptology Scotland. The current lecture programme is available on the musuem’s website.The museum is particularly popular with primary school classes studying Ancient Egypt and a set of worksheets has been produced and is available free for use in the museum.
