The University's Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology is hosting their 11th annual Family Day on Feb. 28 in the Communication and Fine Arts building on the first floor in room 142. The events run from 10 am to 2 pm and admission is free to the public.
“We normally have about 80 to 120 people come to Family Day,” Dr. Patricia Podzorski, Curator of Egyptian Art at the University of Memphis, said.
Events for Family day are mostly for younger children. Family Day is to introduce children to the culture of ancient Egypt in a creative and safe environment. Events for children including: writing your name in hieroglyphs, coloring masks while learning about ancient Egyptian gods, making a copy of a real ancient Egyptian amulet, and participating in a scavenger hunt.
“Children from kindergartner to about sixth grade seem to enjoy the day the most,” Podzorski said. “Children love to look at the mummies. It is always the case that we have to clean the most fingerprints off of.”
Although most of the events are for small children Family Day does have the School for Scribes which is for participates 10 years and older. The School for Scribes is an hour long class where participates can learn about the Egyptian language including grammar, how the language of the Egyptians was rediscovered, and how to write in this lost ancient language. School for Scribes will begin that morning in a classroom in the Communication and Fine Arts building. People wanting to participate in this event will need to registrar in advance due to availability.
Along with these events there will also be guided tours of the Egyptian gallery. During these tours visitors will get to see up to 200 amazing artifacts that are not normally on display in the gallery. Items on display include jewelry, statuary, tomb furnishing, mummies, and everyday items from ancient Egypt.
“My favorite item on display is the 4,000 year old loaf of bread, Podzorski said. “I like the bread because it was something people would eat on a daily basis.”
The University of Memphis has the largest Egyptian collection in the Mid-South.
“To see a larger collection people would have to drive to San Francisco or Atlanta,” Podzorski said.
The University of Memphis is also the smallest university in the country to have a collection of this size. Other schools in the country that have Egyptian exhibits include UCLA, Brown University, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania. The University of Memphis is also one of the only universities that offers a degree in Egyptian Art and Archaeology.
Free parking for Family Day will be available to everyone in the Central Avenue parking lot. Paid parking will also be available for two dollars in the Fogelman Executive Center garage on Innovation Drive, located just south of Central Avenue.
To registrar for the School for Scribes, reserve space for a large group or for more information on Family Day call (901)-678-2649
