Visit - British Museum
Book your free ticket for Museum entry in advance to receive key information and updates before your visit and priority entry during busy periods.In our galleries come face-to-face with objects from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, explore the wonderful collection of the Islamic world and learn more about Egyptian mummies.Please see the list of available galleries to visit.
Collection - British Museum
Collection online allows access to almost four and a half million objects in more than two million records. High definition images can be enlarged and examined in detail which will enable you to view the incredible workmanship on the Royal Game of Ur, or the intricate carving on this African hunting horn – just a few of the thousands of highlights to discover.
Exhibitions and events - British Museum
Sep 26, 2024 · Go on a journey of discovery around the galleries and get closer to some of the most famous objects in the collection. Book Around the world in 90 minutes tour now. Gallery talks & tours. £33. Various dates.
An introduction to the Parthenon and its sculptures
Jan 11, 2018 · A building from Athens' golden age. The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens was built between 447 and 438 BC as a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos. The word parthénos (παρθένος) meant 'maiden, girl' or 'virgin, unmarried woman'. A reconstruction of how the Acropolis may have looked in ancient times, including the ...
Roman Empire - British Museum
The gallery covers a period of about 1,000 years from Rome's legendary foundation in 753 BC to AD 324, when the emperor Constantine founded his new, Christian capital at Constantinople (Istanbul). Objects on display come from all over the empire, reflecting both its vast scale and its diverse geographical, cultural and ethnic nature.
Introduction to ancient Rome - British Museum
The birth of Rome. According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus, son of the Roman god of war, Mars. The myth states a threatened local King ordered Romulus, and his twin brother Remus, to be abandoned on the bank of the river Tiber. Although infants, the pair survived on the site that would become Rome, thanks to the kindness from ...
Explore the Rosetta Stone - British Museum
In July 1799, a group of soldiers stumbled upon an object set to change our understanding of the ancient world. That object was the Rosetta Stone, perhaps the most famous piece of rock in the world. This fragment of an ancient stela (an inscribed slab) became the key that unlocked the mysterious hieroglyphic script of ancient Egypt.
Mesopotamia - British Museum
Mesopotamia is important because it witnessed crucial advancements in the development of human civilisation between 6000–1550 BC. The word 'mesopotamia' comes from the ancient words 'meso', which means 'middle', and 'potamos', which means 'river or stream'. Mesopotamia is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (now Iraq, north-east ...
About us - British Museum
The British Museum is unique in bringing together under one roof the cultures of the world, spanning continents and oceans. No other museum is responsible for collections of the same depth and breadth, beauty and significance. Its eight million objects allow us to explore the extraordinary diversity of human cultures, from small communities to ...
Enlightenment - British Museum
The Enlightenment is the name given to a period of discovery and learning that flourished among Europeans and Americans from about 1680–1820, changing the way they viewed the world. This was also a time when Britain became a global power and grew wealthy. A significant part of that wealth came from Britain's colonial empire and its active ...