Reuse & Recycling in Ancient Egypt

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Recommended age: 18+ years

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Egyptologist and curator Dr Melanie Pitkin sits down with leading social researcher, author and journalist Rebecca Huntley to explore unique and ancient concepts of use, reuse and ownership in Ancient Egypt.

With particular focus on funerary items, such as coffins and stelae, learn how the data generated by CT scanners and x-radiography (as well as traditional interdisciplinary studies) is prompting us to ask whether or not we fully understand the ancient Egyptian’s concept of eternity.

Your ticket includes:

• A drink on arrival and a chef’s selection of Egyptian-inspired canapés
• 45-minute talk + Q&A with a leading expert
• Ticket to Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs (valued at $52) and skip the queue for express entry
• Within the exhibition, enjoy an exclusive in-person spotlight tour by an expert as they share the stories behind their favourite objects
• Following your tour, enjoy access to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs until the Museum closes at 9pm

Note: Ticket price does NOT include VR experience or exhibition audio guide.

Melanie Pitkin is Senior Curator of the Nicholson Collection of antiquities and archaeology at the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, and an Egyptologist. She has more than 15 years of experience working in museums in Australia and the United Kingdom and providing support to colleagues at museums in Egypt. Melanie holds a PhD in Egyptology from Macquarie University.

Her thesis examined the understudied First Intermediate Period through a study of its false doors and stelae, which was recently published by Golden House Press. Prior to joining the Chau Chak Wing Museum in February 2022, Melanie worked as a Research Associate (Egyptian Antiquities) at the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge.

Dr Rebecca Huntley is one of Australia’s foremost researchers on social trends. She holds degrees in law and film studies and a PhD in Gender Studies. She has led research at Essential Media and Vox Populi and was a director at Ipsos Australia. For a number of years, she ran her own research and consultancy firm working closely with climate and environment NGOs, government and business on climate change strategy and communication. She is now Director of Research at the agency 89DegreesEast and writes regularly for The Monthly, Australian Traveller Magazine, The Guardian and the SMH.

She is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Australian Parents for Climate Action and a member of the Advisory Group for the Climate Solutions Centre at the Australian Museum and the Sydney Environment Institute.

Genevieve Holt is a PhD candidate at the Wallumattagal campus, Macquarie University with an interest in how one culture writes about another culture. Her thesis is focussed on the history of Egyptology in the 19th and early 20th century and how Eurocentric attitudes affected both the interpretation of archaeological evidence and the writing of the history of the non-western culture of ancient Egypt. Genevieve recently presented a paper at the International Congress of Egyptologists at Leiden, Netherlands in which she questioned the continued use of 19th century terminology in Eygptology today.

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