Ancient Egypt in the Archives

What to expect in the workshop at The National Archives

Students will have the unique opportunity to view a range of original documents up close and investigate what they can reveal about the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. The session will be centred around the famous excavation that Howard Carter made and through the unique lens of documentation from The National Archives, students will discover the process archaeologists go through in excavation.

This two-hour session – led by an experienced history educator – introduces students to the concept of an archaeologist and how they undergo their work. Learners will develop the skill of looking carefully and making inferences about source material, including letters, photographs, maps and 3D printed artefacts which are models from the Ancient Egypt collection at the British Museum. The workshop will also allow students to apply their knowledge of the process of archaeology to another famous excavation: Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, UK.

What to expect in the online workshop

In the online workshop in your classroom students will explore documents relating to the excavation of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Learners will uncover the processes that archaeologists such as Howard Carter go through when discovering and excavating a site. They will analyse archival photographs, letters and maps, as well as images of artefacts discovered by Carter and his team in Tutankhamun's tomb.

The one-hour online session in your classroom is led by an experienced history educator – you only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. Interactive activities encourage students to ‘dig in’ by discussing their ideas and work in groups using high-quality materials provided in advance by the Education team.

Connections to the curriculum

This session supports Key Stage 2 history students studying the achievements of the earliest civilizations in Ancient Egypt.