The British Museum is home to a vast collection of artifacts from around the world, spanning thousands of years of human history. Here are some highlights of what to see at the British Museum, according to various sources:
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Rosetta Stone: This ancient Egyptian artifact, inscribed with a decree in three scripts, was the key to deciphering hieroglyphics.
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Parthenon Sculptures: Also known as the Elgin Marbles, these sculptures were originally part of the Parthenon temple in Athens, Greece.
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Egyptian Mummies: The British Museum has a large collection of mummies and other artifacts from ancient Egypt.
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Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs: These reliefs, depicting a royal lion hunt, were created in the 7th century BC for the palace of King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, Iraq.
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Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: This Anglo-Saxon burial site, discovered in 1939, contained a wealth of artifacts including a ship, a helmet, and a gold belt buckle.
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Living and Dying Gallery: This gallery explores the ways in which different cultures have approached the concepts of life and death.
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Mexican Double-Headed Serpent: This sculpture, created in what is now Mexico in the 15th or 16th century, is made mostly of turquoise pieces over a wooden base and probably had ritual significance.
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Grayson Perrys The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman: This contemporary art installation, located in the museum's medieval galleries, explores themes of craftsmanship and spirituality.
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The Sloane Astrolabe: This astrolabe, crafted around 1300, is the earliest and largest English astrolabe to have survived from the Middle Ages and shows a knowledge of Arabic astronomy and instrumentation.
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The Holy Thorn Reliquary: This reliquary, made in the 14th century, contains a thorn believed to be from the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus Christ.
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Mummy of Katebet: This mummy, buried over 3,300 years ago, belonged to a Chantress of Amun who would have sung and performed music during rituals.
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Gold and Silver Oxus Treasure: This collection of gold and silver metalwork found in the Oxus river, on the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, dates back to the Achaemenid Empire of the 5th to 3rd century BC.
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Edmund de Waal's Library of Exile: This contemporary art installation, located in the museum's Great Court, is a response to the destruction of libraries around the world.
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Crouching Venus: This Roman statue depicts the goddess Venus crouching down to remove a thorn from her foot.
In addition to these highlights, there are many other galleries and exhibits to explore at the British Museum. Visitors can also see two contemporary art installations along the route – Grayson Perry's The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman and Edmund de Waal's Library of Exile. The museum is particularly child-friendly, with backpacks for children, digital guides, and a calendar of family events.
