I enjoyed spending a very fruitful month in London in October 2023, during which time I gained new experiences in the academic field. My research topic was: ‘Mud-Straw Coffins in Roman Egypt’.

At the Petrie Museum

I found a valuable collection of this type of coffin on display in the British Museum, and it was of great benefit to me to examine these coffins, to learn more about the finer details, which helped me to establish the date of these coffins, and the workshop in which they might have been manufactured.

With Dr Claudia Naeser of UCL

One of my most important steps during this visit was to make appointments with specialists such as Professor Stephen Quirke and Dr Claudia Naeser of the Institute of Archaeology, UCL. Both of them helped me with their experience in determining the proper approach in my study of mud-straw coffins, and also provided me with references to some important literature. In addition I met museum curators Drs Marie Vandenbeusch and Marcel Marée of the British museum, and Dr Anna Garnett of the Petrie Museum. We discussed the type of coffin I was studying and they helped me with some important details. I also had a very productive appointment with Dr Carl Graves, Director of the Egypt Exploration Society.

With Dr Marie Vandenbeusch at the British Museum

In addition, I visited the specialist libraries at UCL, the British Museum Library, and EES, and many tourist attractions, various museums, and archaeological sites in London, which added to my knowledge of the wonderful British culture.

Finally, I would like to thank Robert Anderson Trust, for giving me the opportunity to have this fruitful visit, which added a lot to my academic career and added to my knowledge; I hope that my colleagues academics and researchers in Egypt will benefit from this great opportunity.

Outside the Houses of Parliament