Ancient Worlds
The Ancient Worlds gallery displays objects from Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and the Roman Empire. Discover the people who lived in the Mediterranean area thousands of years ago and explore how they have shaped our lives today.
The lands across the sea
The gallery is in two parts. On one side, explore the development of Western civilisation. Beginning with ancient Mesopotamian, travel through ancient Cyprus to Greece and Rome, seeing some of the objects made and used by these people. End your journey in Devon and see how ideas from the classical world can be seen around us today.
On the other side of the gallery you can explore daily life in ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt is far more than death and the afterlife – life was for living! See objects made by the earliest nomadic people, discover the beliefs and daily lives of people in Dynastic Egypt, and glimpse the passion for exploring Egypt in the 18th and 19th centuries. Leading from this gallery you can enter the Egyptian tomb to explore the afterlife.
Family interactive area
This gallery also has an interactive area – try on replica Greek and Roman soldiers' helmets, peep through spy holes into other worlds, or create your own stories using puppets and masks.
