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A Gateway to Egypt programs

Ancient Egypt is coming back to life at the Australian Museum with a limited season of talks and tours giving you exclusive access to experts and curators.

^{Image: Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty © Georges Poncet}

Whether you’re an Egyptophile or simply Egypto-curious, A Gateway to Egypt - our exclusive series of lectures, conversations and experiences has an event to suit you.

Breakfast Behind the Scenes – Egypt Unearthed

Start your day in the best possible way with fascinating tales from the finest in their field, a delicious shakshuka breakfast and exclusive guided VIP out-of-hours access to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs.

Breakfast Behind the Scenes is on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 17 January 2024.

Learn more about Breakfast Behind the Scenes

Breakfast behind the scenes 1 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

Lessons from the Dead: Tales of a Bioarchaeologist

We kick off our exclusive Breakfast Behind the Scenes series with Professor Ronika Power from Macquarie University as she shares insights into how her studies of the dead bring life and meaning to Ancient Egypt. There will be Auslan interpretation provided for this event.

Wednesday 17 January 2024
7.30am - 9am

Breakfast behind the scenes 2 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

Ancient Egypt, Modern Curatorship

Sit down for breakfast with Chau Chak Wing Museum’s Senior Curator of the Nicholson Collection of antiquities and archaeology as she challenges the stereotypes and colonial legacies of museums by returning agency to modern Egyptian communities.

Wednesday 21 February 2024
7.30am - 9am

Ramses Breakfast behind the scenes 3 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

Digging up the Past: The Tombs of the Pharaoh's Officials

Discover the world of Ramesside Egypt with Dr Karin Sowada, archaeologist and Director of the Australian Centre for Egyptology, at this exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of her life helping to unravel the mysteries of the past.

Wednesday 20 March 2024
7.30am - 9am

Saturday Lecture Series - Exploring Ancient Egypt

Our monthly Saturday Lecture Series will captivate and delight the most devout Egyptophiles looking to deepen their understanding of Ancient Egypt.

Learn more about Saturday Lecture Series

Ramses Sat Lecture series 2 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

Journey to the Afterlife

Come on a journey to the afterlife with archaeologist Dr Anna-Latifa Mourad-Cizek as we explore everything from beliefs and practices to tombs and funerary equipment.

Saturday 23 December 2023
10.30am - 11.30am

Ramses Sat Lecture series 1 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

The Egyptian 'Conquest' of Nubia

Archaeologist Dr Aaron de Souza unpacks the tumultuous relationship between Egypt and Nubia, culminating in the conquest of the region in the New Kingdom.

Saturday 27 January 2024
10.30am - 11.30am

Tomb of pharaohs Rameses V and VI in Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt

Monumental Architecture: The Egyptian Temple

Macquarie University’s Dr Gillian Smith celebrates the architectural enormity of the Ramesside period with her exploration of Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum & Luxor’s Karnak Temple Complex. There will be Auslan interpretation provided for this event.

Saturday 24 February 2024
10.30am - 11.30am

Agricultural scenes from the tomb of Menna at valley of the Nobles . Luxor, Egypt .

Ramses Street: Ancient Egypt in Colonial Australia

Join digital art historian Dr Alex Woods and archaeologist Candace Richards for the fifth of our Saturday Lecture Series, where we explore the entwined histories of Egypt and early modern Australia, in an effort to understand how Egypt’s cultural heritage found its way Down Under.

Saturday 23 March 2024
10.30am - 11.30am

Egyptian wall murals and frescoes and paintings in Hatshepsut temple in Luxor.

The Battle of Kadesh: Triumph or Disaster?

We wrap up our Saturday Lecture Series with Macquarie University’s Associate Professor Boyo Ockinga as he explores how Ramses II turned a military disaster at the Battle of Kadesh into a public relations triumph.

Saturday 27 April 2024
10.30am - 11.30am

Ramses Sat Lecture series 1 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

The Afterlife of Ramses II's Tomb

In the premiere event of our Saturday Lecture Series, Macquarie University Professor Malcolm Choat uncovers the history of KV7 - The tomb of Ramses the Great.

Tomb Talks

History… with a touch of harissa. With Tomb Talks (2nd Tuesday of every month, from 12 December), you’ll enjoy conversation with the experts, a welcome drink and canapés and then skip the queue for entry into Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, where you’ll receive an exclusive spotlight tour by an expert.

Learn more about Tomb Talks

Ramses programs - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty.

The Nile High Club: Drinking, Drugs and the Divine

Macquarie University archaeologist Mary Hartley unearths the paths to divinity with her exploration of the roles of drinking and drugs in Ancient Egypt. There will be Auslan interpretation provided for the 7pm session.

Tuesday 12 December 2023
5.30pm - 7.30pm or 7pm - 9pm

Ramses programs - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty

Reuse & Recycling in Ancient Egypt

The second event in our Tomb Talks series explores the age-old question: when is it acceptable to break up and reuse someone else’s coffin for your own?

Tuesday 9 January 2024
5.30pm - 7.30pm or 7pm - 9pm

Ramses programs - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty

CSI: Egypt

Explore science facts and science fiction as Macquarie University bioarchaeologist Professor Ronika Power sits down with self-professed Egyptophile and comedian AJ Lamarque to explore life (and death) on the Nile.

Tuesday 13 February 2024
5.30pm - 7.30pm or 7pm - 9pm

Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty

Jewels of the Nile

Join Dr Aaron de Souza and Dr Julien Cooper as they chat with Chau Chak Wing Museum’s Dr Craig Barker in an attempt to unravel the political and economic webs that drove the pharaohs’ insatiable hunger for gold.

Tuesday 12 March 2024
5.30pm - 7.30pm or 7pm - 9pm

Tomb of Tutankhamun in Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt.

Ramesside Love Songs and Poetry

Dr Julia Hamilton sits down with award-winning poet and author Sara Saleh (Host) to celebrate the ancient art of love.

Tuesday 9 April 2024
5.30pm - 7.30pm or 7pm - 9pm

Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty.

Crypts and Robbers: Excavating the Tombs

Discover the challenges of excavating the Tombs of Ramesside officials… and find out who got there first.

Tuesday 14 May 2024
5.30pm - 7.30pm or 7pm - 9pm

Egypt - In Conversation

Enrich your love for all things Egypt with our monthly series, Egypt - In Conversation (2nd Wednesday of every month, from 13 December). Explore everything from hieroglyphs to hidden histories in these accessible yet engrossing discussions on Ancient Egypt.

Learn more about Egypt - In Conversation

Egypt in Conversation - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

An Introduction to Egypt

In the first instalment of the Australian Museum’s exclusive Egypt - In Conversation series, curator and Egyptologist Dr Melanie Pitkin sits down with journalist and passionate Egyptophile Caroline Baum for An Introduction to Egypt.

Wednesday 13 December 2023
12pm - 1pm

Ramses Sat Lecture series 3 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

"It’s Alive": Ancient Egypt in Popular Culture

Travel with archaeologist Dr Craig Barker on a journey to Ancient Egypt… via Hollywood.

Wednesday 10 January 2024
12pm - 1pm

Relief at the tomb of Queen Nefertari depicting god Anubis. Valley of queens, Luxor, Egypt .

Solving a Museum Mystery

Macquarie University bioarchaeologist Professor Ronika Power and Egyptologist Dr Conni Lord chat about uncovering the mystery of Mer-Neith-Ites, whose mummified remains were discovered in a sarcophagus at Sydney University.

Wednesday 14 February 2024
12pm - 1pm

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics on papyrus.

Hieroglyphs: Preserving Identity for Eternity

Self-confessed Egyptophile AJ Lamarque sits down with Macquarie University’s Dr Ellen Ryan to examine her insights into ancient Egyptians’ use of hieroglyphic texts to immortalise their identity for eternity. There will be Auslan interpretation provided for this event.

Wednesday 13 March 2024
12pm - 1pm

Egypt in Conversation 3 - Painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el Medina, 19th Dynasty (detail)

How to Excavate an Ancient Egyptian Tomb

Hosted by broadcaster Simon Marnie, join the Director of the Australian Centre for Egyptology, Dr Karin Sowada as she shares an insider’s guide to the little-known aspects of archaeology and what it really takes to reveal the secrets of Ancient Egypt.

Wednesday 10 April 2024
12pm - 1pm

Queen Nefertari And Horus in her tomb at the Valley of Queens, Luxor, Egypt.

The Secrets of the World’s First Peace Treaty

In the final of our Egypt - In Conversation series, join us for this fascinating conversation about the Treaty of Ramses II of Egypt and Hattušili II of Hatti featuring Macquarie University Egyptologist Dr Camilla Di-Biase Dyson.

Wednesday 8 May 2024
12pm - 1pm

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