A Humbling Experience

I could hardly contain myself as a walked through the doors of the British Museum. Looking around at all the exhibits from different cultures and eras I could not help but feel what I imagine Augustus Gloop felt as he waddled his way in to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, pure and utter bliss. There was everything from Africa and North America to ancient Greece and the Egyptians. One thing I noticed wherever I went was the intricate level of artistic expression. The Egyptians pottery and walls told stories of sacrifice and war along with their legends and the story of the rise of their empire. The Greek’s sculptures, paintings, and pottery portrayed their gods, the ideal images of men and women, and told their epic tales of battle and conquest as they carved a bloody path through history. Old arrowheads in the North American section and other regions showed intricate craftsmanship which was truly a sight to behold. Each tribe or group of people had marks and styles that were unique and helped to tell where each piece of weaponry came from and had its own individual strengths and weaknesses.

Not only did the level of artistic expression tell stories from culture to culture but it was meant to convey and showcase each respective culture’s power. The Egyptians were buried with all of their riches in death so that they could take them to the afterlife. Pharaohs and important individuals were therefore buried with extreme treasure troves of riches. This is why their tombs were often booby trapped and guarded to prevent grave robbers from entering and stealing their riches. Polished stones and jewelry were big in North America and Africa while gold seemed to be the theme in Greece and Egypt. Overall, I was very impressed with the museum. I enjoyed the other sections such as the Japanese, Chinese, and Indian sections although for the sake of space I chose to focus on the others in this entry. However, I believe that one of the coolest if not my favorite attraction that I got to see was the Rosetta Stone. Not the computer software that many of you are thinking of but the actually Rosetta Stone which was used to translate multiple forms of hieroglyphics and still to this day remains one of the keys to all languages. I can honestly say that I was in awe while admiring this piece of history. It was something that I had never really expected to get to see. If any of you ever have the chance you must go see this museum. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like museums, it would be a tragic mistake to not check this place out if you are ever lucky enough to have the chance!