Objects & Beliefs
A Scarab Small Enough to Miss: Reading One Museum Record Closely
Look closely at a small faience scarab in The Met’s collection and learn how dimensions, material, date and motif each answer a different question.
Ancient objects, open questions
Objects & Beliefs
Explore what objects can tell us about ancient lives and beliefs, with room for uncertainty.
Objects & Beliefs
An Egyptian Amulet Needs More Than a Shape to Tell Its Story
Explore why material, decoration and archaeological context matter when reading about an Egyptian amulet, instead of assigning a meaning from its outline alone.
Objects & Beliefs
Small figures, a larger belief: asking better questions about shabtis
A funerary figure becomes easier to understand when its purpose, inscription and surviving condition are considered together.