UCL East

August 2023  Summer school The Afterlife in Ancient Greece and Egypt

Student handling an ancient Egyptian shabti from UCL's Petrie Museum.

In August 2023 Chiara D'Agostino (PhD candidate working on Greek papyri) and Fiachra Mac Góráin taught on UCL's East Summer School, which is held at UCL East Stratford Campus, Olympic Park. Participation was open to students in state schools in the four London boroughs closest to the Olympic Park, these being Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest.

Fiachra and a pyramid building inscription lent by the Petrie Museum

Fiachra taught the morning sessions which were on ancient Greek beliefs in the afterlife with a focus on the so-called Orphic golden leaves that give instructions to the dead about what to do upon reaching the nether world.

Students reproduce name tags from ancient Egyptian mummies

Chiara taught the afternoon sessions which were hands-on explorations of objects lent to us by UCL's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology from their ancient Egyptian collection. These included a couple of shabtis, a pyramid burial inscription, and a frog that is believed to have symbolized fertility. The students were delighted to be able to learn about ancient Egyptian burial customs by handling these grave objects.