Outreach and public engagement at the Eton Myers collection

Undergraduate Research Scholarship project 2020

Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology

Project academic: Dr Leire Olabarria

Project summary

The Eton Myers is an impressive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities gathered by Major W. J. Myers in the late 19^th century and eventually bequeathed to Eton College upon his death. In 2011 the University of Birmingham was privileged to receive a substantial part of the Eton Myers collection as a loan for teaching and research purposes.

This project provides a unique opportunity to work with ancient Egyptian objects. You will help to raise awareness of the collection within the University and beyond by designing worksheets to be used during outreach activities such as school visits. In addition, you will contribute to current research on 19^th and 20^th century collecting practices by researching the biography of one object in the Eton Myers. Your work which will be presented both in the form of a report and a poster to promote the collection and encourage further research on its holdings.

What you will do

Work with ancient Egyptian artefacts from the Eton Myers collection
Work closely with the Eton Myers’ academic curator
Create worksheets to be used in outreach activities for children and teenagers in the framework of the ‘Classics for All’ project; one of those worksheets will build on the concept of “object biography” as a methodology for the study of material culture
Write a detailed report on the biography of one object in the collection; the report will be published in an upcoming issue of the Birmingham Egyptology online journal
Design a poster showcasing the biography of the chosen object; this poster will be displayed in key places of the Arts Building to highlight the research being done on the collection

Skills required

Essential

Interest in museum collections and cultural heritage
Willingness to carry out independent research
Willingness to work with ancient Egyptian artefacts
Interest in outreach and education
Attention to detail
Good organisational skills
Good writing skills (a writing sample will be requested)

Desirable

CAHA student
Previous experience working in a museum

How will the project benefit you?

First-hand experience working with ancient artefacts
Insight into museum work and collection management
Experience creating worksheets and designing outreach activities
Original research on objects from the Eton Myers collection
Report writing skills