Sunken Cities exhibition - deeply facinating

Going to London on one of the hottest days of the year is probably not a good idea but I was determined to see the Sunken Cities: Egypt's Lost Worlds exhibition at The British Museum before all the kids broke up from school. Even so, I planned for an early start to catch whatever coolness there might be.

I got to the museum about 10.20am and entered the exhibition, a cool haven from the outside heat. Apparently there have been mixed reviews on this particular exhibition. I wouldn't know, I never read any of them and prefer to make up my own mind. Besides, I'd wanted to see this one since I first heard about it.

The finding of the lost cities of Egypt is fascinating. It's hard to believe these objects on display were pulled out of the sea but all around are film clips of the archaeologist going about their business, discovering the finds, bringing them up, cleaning them. There is a photo of one huge statue being driven through the streets. What a spectacle that made! The exhibition is calming with 'watery music' playing as you wander around. Some of the statues are huge while other objects, like coins and rings, are so tiny you need to look through the magnifying glasses to see the detail. How such images were put on them I have no idea. So exquisite.

Timelines are on display in each section so you can see who was ruling, what was happening at that time. Now, I've never understood myths, Greek, Egyptian or Roman, but in the last year or so I've thought that maybe it was time I tried to get a hold on them. Here, maybe, is the starting point. I found I was drawn into the myth of Osiris and Isis. It's such a good story (you can read it here) and the festivals that followed his death were truly fascinating and, I have to say, beautiful. I was really caught up in this. Of course I know about Egyptian thought on the afterlife and I rather like the idea of items being buried with the dead for use on the other side.

The other thing I like about the exhibition was the list of Egyptian gods with their Greek and Roman alternative names. I get very confused over this so it was nice to see them alongside each other.

Archaeologists are still exploring the area. More is to be discovered, so maybe one day there will be a second exhibition. This exhibition is reminded of how nature will have her way because as sea levels rose these cities disappeared. It made me wonder about sea levels today and which cities we will one day lose in the same way. Sobering thought.