On Friday 10th November, Year 4 enjoyed a fantastic trip to Leeds City Museum to enrich their History learning about the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.

They took part in an interactive workshop where students learnt all about the process of mummification and had a go at mummifying Suny, a figurine Egyptian boy. They discovered who was usually mummified, what happened to the body’s organs once they were removed, and how natron salt was a critical part of the preservation process. 

Students also explored the many exhibits in the museum. We were very proud of our students’ conduct and inquisitive nature throughout the trip. They represented Wakefield Girls’ in exemplary fashion – they showed great respect when they viewed the mummy of a man named Nesyamun who was believed to have lived in Thebes, Egypt. 

Overall, the trip was a brilliant opportunity to analyse real Egyptian artefacts made and used thousands of years ago, in particular viewing the 3,100 year old mummy bandages! We cannot wait to incorporate all we have learnt and seen in our Egypt project in the upcoming weeks.

Here is a write-up of the trip by one of our Year 4 students, Hareem:

‘On Friday 10th November we visited Leeds City Museum to learn about the Ancient Egyptians. We saw the mummy of Nesyamun. He was a priest in the Temple of Amun in Kannak. Nesyamun was bald so he wore a wig. He died 3000 years ago in his mid forties. During the workshop we learnt first the brain is removed with a stick up their nostrils and then the brain is thrown away. After that they cut open the side of the mummy and remove the lungs, liver and heart. Then they put the organs in canopic jars apart from the heart. After that they put natron salt on the body and leave it for 40 to 70 days. Then finally if a body part is missing they replace it with a wooden version and wrap the body up.’

Mrs S Rowbotham, Year 4 teacher