Really old stuff

The cold rain drove us into the British Museum where we found some of the most important antiquities on the planet, including this spectacular bust of a late period Egyptian pharaoh. Some of the artifacts are more than 5,000 years old.

The Rosetta Stone was smaller than I had imagined, but amazing to see nonetheless.

This statue of a pharaonic couple was sublime.

In the room next to the pieces of art formerly known as the Elgin Marbles we found this classical-styled tomb from ancient Turkey.

By the way, the Elgin Marbles, which were taken from their home at the Parthenon in Athens in 1806 by Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, have been renamed the Parthenon Sculptures by the museum. While it's a more politically enlightened label, it doesn't erase the fact that the statues are stolen loot.

The museum's famous domed reading room in its center was impressive and, as might be expected, strongly smelled of old dusty books.


We found this container collecting donations (the museum is generally free to tour) near the entrance. The gifts included currencies from several countries, including China and Turkmenistan, and a few interesting non-cash items. Note the condom still in it's green wrapper in the upper right corner of the photo.