Search results
Aug 24, 2020 · Don't worry – there's plenty that you can still explore from home. Read our Museum from home blog or browse thousands of objects on our Collection online database. From the Rosetta Stone to Grayson Perry’s The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, there's so much to see - don't miss these highlights.
- Ancient Egyptian Must-Sees at The British Museum
- Ancient Assyrian Must-Sees at The British Museum
- Ancient Greecian Must-Sees at The British Museum
- Ready to Explore Your Must-Sees at The British Museum?
Rosetta Stone
This relatively small stone is not so famous for the subject matter written on it, but rather for the fact that it was written in three different languages: hieroglyphics, which were used mainly by priests; Demotic, a simpler script used for everyday; and ancient Greek. Linguists were able to crack the code of the long-forgotten hieroglyphs by comparing the other two known languages. These days you’ll find the Rosetta Stone in the middle of the long Egyptian Gallery — although, like some of o...
King Ramesses II
Weighing an impressive 7.25 tons, the partial statue of King Ramesses II is one of the largest pieces of Egyptian sculpture at the British Museum. King Ramesses II ruled Egypt from 1279–1213 BC. Some claim that he is the Pharaoh from the Biblical account of Moses and the Israelite enslavement in Egypt, though there is ongoing debate about this.
Egyptian Funeral Rooms
There are two rooms at the British Museum dedicated to Egyptian funeral practices. In these rooms you find what you’d expect: mummies, coffins, tomb paintings, statuettes. But there are also plenty of lesser-known, fascinating objects to discover here. One of the most famous residents of the Egyptian Funeral rooms is Gebelein Man, nicknamed “Ginger” in honor of his red hair. More than 5,500 years old, he’s one of the best-preserved humans from ancient Egypt, and has been one of the must-sees...
Two Human-Headed Winged Lions
Assyria, located in what is now northern Iraq, was the superpower of the Middle East from 900 to 600 B.C. These massive winged human-headed lions flanked an entrance to the royal palace of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 BC) at Nimrud and it’s believed they were meant to guard the Assyrian king from evil spirits.
The Nimrud Gallery
In the Nimrud Gallery, you’ll find another must-see at the British Museum — relief panels that once lined King Ashurnasirpal II’s throne room at the Palace of Nimrud. Syrian King from 883–859 BC, Ashurnasirpal II was known for his brutality. This long room’s well-preserved and detailed relief panels chronicle his reign and depict fascinating Assyrian battle scenes.
Two Winged Bulls from Khorsabad, the Palace of Sargon
These 30-ton bulls were cut from a single block of marble, tipped on their side and dragged into their guard position by enslaved prisoners of war. Interesting note: when they were moved to the British Museum, even with all the more modern equipment and know-how, they still had to be cut in half to be transported. If you look close, you can see the horizontal cracks through their chests.
Nereid Monument from Xanthos
The Nereid Monument gets its name from the Nereid statues placed between the columns. According to Greek mythology, the Nereids were sea nymphs who helped sailors when they faced fierce storms on the sea. What’s particularly remarkable about these carved Nereids is how the sculptor captured their graceful movement and the wind-blown look of their wet clothing as it also clings to their body in some places. You can totally picture them in a raging storm on the sea!
The Parthenon Galleries
The Parthenon temple was built for Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the patroness of Athens. One of the most significant buildings of its time, it is still a marvel to behold and a major draw for visitors to Athens. However, for 200 years, most of its best sculptures have been displayed at the British Museum, not in Athens. There’s some controversy behind how the Parthenon sculptures made their way to Britain. In the early 1800s, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to Greece, had (with permis...
The Pediment Sculptures
The Pediment Sculptures were originally tucked inside the triangular pediment above the columns at the Parthenon’s main entrance. This scene celebrates the birth of the city of Athens with a depiction of the birth of the goddess Athena. Fun fact: one of the techniques the ancient Greek sculptors used to create such lifelike masterpieces was to first build nude models of their work, put real clothes on them, and then study how the real fabric hung before sculpting them in stone. Talk about com...
These are just 10 of my favorites at the British Museum, but this place has so many more treasures for you to discover in its other galleries. You can see a Sutton Hoo Helmet, part of one of the most spectacular and important discoveries in British archaeology; the Lewis Chessmen, the most famous chess set in the world dating from the 12th century;...
- The Rosetta Stone. It was the key to unlocking the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone is a decree passed by Egyptian priests on the first anniversary of the coronation of the Pharoah, Ptolemy V. The decree is written in hieroglyphics - the priestly form of writing by then, in demotic or everyday Egyptian of the period, and in Greek.
- The Portland Vase. The Portland Vase is a cameo glass vessel, probably made in Rome between AD5 and 25. It may have been a wedding gift because the pictures on it, in a white glass overlay on a dark blue glass, depict love, marriage, and sex.
- The Cat Mummies. The British Museum has a very fine collection of mummies, many of which are displayed so that visitors can appreciate their elaborate wrappings and, in some cases, see the clothes and shoes they were buried in.
- Colossal Granite Head of Amenhotep III. A gigantic head (about 9 1/2 feet tall, weighing 4 tons) of Amenhotep III, a pharaoh who ruled between 1390 and 1325 BC, originally part of the temple of Mut, in Karnak, Egypt.
Oct 26, 2023 · To help you have a meaningful experience of this incredible London museum, our local expert has put together a list of must-see paintings, sculptures, and artifacts. Here are the top things to see at the British Museum.
- Chris Waywell
- Colossal horse from Halikarnassos. Go and see the Parthenon ‘Elgin’ Marbles of course. They are amazing. But be prepared for the gallery to be packed with grumpy Greeks in ‘Give Them Back’ T-shirts.
- Three human figurines. Among all the incredible virtuoso displays of cultural and artistic power and wealth in the British Museum, it’s nice to see such humble objects as these clay figures from Bab edh-Dhra, near the Dead Sea.
- Assyrian lion hunt reliefs. I always go and look at these sculpture reliefs from around 650 BC. For my money (ie, none), they’re among the greatest works in the BM: a savage but curiously relatable depiction of the bloodsport of kings and dentists: lion hunting.
- Clarence’s Truck. Not everything in the British Museum is ancient. The institution has an ever-growing collection of artefacts from cultures and peoples across the world.
Nov 12, 2019 · Free tours and audio guides. Where to start your visit. Five must-see pieces and why they matter. Most underrated pieces to check out. What you can skip. What you didn’t know. Before you go: the #1 piece of advice for visiting the British Museum. Photo: douglasmack /Shutterstock.
See getting here. Book tickets. View Museum map. Immerse yourself in two million years of human history, art and culture. Book your free ticket for Museum entry in advance to receive key information and updates before your visit and priority entry during busy periods.
