Bringing UCL to Japan through Egyptology

With support from UCL Global Engagement, Dr Anna Garnett from the UCL Petrie Museum is revitalising historical connections between UCL and Japan in Egyptian archaeology.

Anna Garnett and Dr Yumiko Murakami, Archaeologist and Chief Curator, Kyoto University Museum

14 November 2023

UCL and Japan have been linked for decades, dating back to when the Chōshū Five - the first Japanese students to study abroad - came to UCL 160 years ago. This longstanding relationship spans across various departments, particularly in the field of archeology.

Shared collections of Egyptian artefacts are housed in the Petrie Museum at UCL, as well as in the Kyoto University Museum and Tokyo National Museum. Earlier this year, Dr Anna Garnett, Curator of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology, embarked on a trip to Japan to strengthen connections with Japanese colleagues and exchange knowledge and findings on the subject. With financial support from UCL Global Engagement Funds (GEF), Anna described this trip as "an incredible opportunity that wouldn't have been possible without the support and enthusiasm from the UCL Global Engagement team.”

Generations of UCL-Japanese archaeology

The inspiration for this project originated from relationships forged over a century ago by two key figures in the global history of archaeology. William Matthew Flinders Petrie, the first Professor of Egyptian Archaeology in the UK, who taught at UCL from 1892 to 1933, and Kōsaku Hamada, Kyoto University's first Professor of Archaeology, who studied under Petrie from 1914 to 1917.

Hamada remained in contact with Petrie long after his time in London, taking Petrie's methodologies to the next generation of Japanese scholars. These students followed in his footsteps to study archaeology at UCL, passing down his teachings through the generations.

In 1922, Petrie allocated around 1,000 ancient Egyptian objects from his excavations to the Kyoto University Museum, allowing his vision of ancient Egypt and Egyptian archaeology to be showcased in Japan. This collection remains on display today, ensuring that Petrie's legacy continues to be significant in Japanese archaeology.

Reigniting the past

Anna's passion for archaeology dates back to her childhood – at the age of seven, she had already decided that she wanted to be a curator of an Egyptian collection. After studying Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, she worked in national museums across the UK and gained field experience. She states, "I enjoy using collections, especially from Egypt and Sudan, to engage people from diverse backgrounds and for educational purposes. So, I found myself gravitating towards a career in university museums." With this in mind, it was only natural for Anna to join UCL and the Petrie Museum in 2017.

Along with her work at the Petrie Museum, Dr. Anna Garnett also has a personal connection to Japan. Egyptology as a field of study isn't extensive, so Anna kept in touch with many of her former colleagues and connections, particularly Keiko Tazawa from the Ancient Orient Museum in Tokyo, who also studied at Liverpool. Both are part of the International Council of Museums network and when they held their annual conference in Kyoto in 2019, it seemed like the perfect time to connect the Petrie Museum with its Japanese roots.

Anna says: “My line manager originally found this fantastic funding opportunity through UCL Global Engagement that paid for my trip to the conference. It has 5,000 delegates, and during my stay, I visited collections and built some vital connections.”

Anna had initially planned to return to Tokyo as soon as possible for further teaching visits, but due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, this was delayed until this year. Anna says: “There was another funding call from Global Engagement as follow-on funding, and it was at that stage that I put in an application for the project that ultimately led me back to Japan to build on the foundations of that initial visit.”

Celebrating future relationships

Anna's main vision was to return to Japan and continue building a network at the Kyoto University Museum while exploring their archive, but she ended up experiencing much more than she had anticipated.

Her Japanese university connections reached out and asked her to speak at their current universities, leading Anna to give three lectures at three different universities in Japan. “I got to speak to over 200 people about UCL, the links between the Petrie Museum and Japan, the Petrie Museum collection, and the project I was working on,” says Anna. “It showed the teaching potential of the collection beyond UCL and the UK. It was amazing to speak with these Japanese students at the time – and they emailed me afterward to say they wanted to include objects from the Petrie Museum in their dissertations.”

Tokai University students with Dr Anna Garnett and Professor Kyoko Yamahana (Egyptologist, Tokai University)

In addition to her visit, Anna presented high-quality 3D models of objects from the Petrie collection to her counterparts in Kyoto. She says: “They have a selection of objects from this particular tomb in Egypt, and we have three of the objects – the group was split probably by Flinders Petrie himself.”

These intricately detailed models can be used for teaching or display to highlight the connections between the two universities. “I gifted them to the curator at the Kyoto University Museum. She was speechless,” says Anna. “The idea of the global university really came to pass with this project because now students in Kyoto and Tokyo are using 3D models of objects in our collection for their essays and dissertation topics. In the future, we’re hoping to work together on a series of virtual student placements, which will mean the students will have the Petrie Museum on their CVs, which further links our institutions.”

Going further with Global Engagement

"I was delighted by the incredibly positive reception from the Global Engagement team when they learned about the links between the Petrie Museum and Japan because it was something entirely new," says Anna. "It showed me that the possibilities for funding are incredibly exciting and diverse."

For the Petrie Museum, these new relationships have opened up opportunities for international collaboration and expanded the potential of their collections. Anna states, "We are now looking at short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for this new working relationship. In the short term, there's our virtual interaction with students and staff. In the medium term, we'll be seeking funding to bring the team to London, and in the long term, we'd like to develop a touring exhibition."

"All of this started with support from the Global Engagement team, so I would say to anyone considering applying for funding, go for it. Don't underestimate the potential of your idea; something a bit different can yield amazing results!"

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Presentation of three 3D printed objects by Anna Garnett to Dr Yumiko Murakami (Archaeologist and Chief Curator, Kyoto University Museum)