Friends of the Egypt Centre logo, featuring the text "Friends of the Egypt Centre" and a stylized image of a filmstrip with Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The Friends of the Egypt Centre support the Egypt Centre and organise an exciting programme of ten monthly lectures per year (September to June). These events run separately from the Egypt Centre’s other online events such as fundraising lectures and courses, and are arranged to cater for all levels of understanding. You can choose to be a member of the Friends for an annual fee of as little as £10, or pay £3 per lecture (booking via Eventbrite).

2024–25 Programme

25 September 2024 (Hybrid lecture)
Ships’ sails and queens’ dresses. A very brief introduction to ancient Egyptian linen manufacture
By Carolyn Graves-Brown

Linen, a staple of ancient Egyptian life, has long been admired for its versatility and durability. While its modern connotations are often glamorous or macabre, the intricacies of its production remain a subject of ongoing research. This talk will delve into the manufacturing process of Egyptian linen, from the cultivation of flax plants to the creation of finished textiles.

By examining evidence from the period between 3000 and 100 BC, we will challenge the prevailing assumptions about linen production. Contrary to popular belief, the techniques used may have varied significantly over time. This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject, shedding light on the ancient Egyptians’ mastery of textile production.

Tickets are available here.

A poster advertising a lecture on ancient Egyptian linen manufacture. The lecture is part of the "Friends of the Egypt Centre" series. The poster features an image of a man and woman pulling up flax, and includes the title of the lecture, the speaker's name, the date, time, location, admission price, and booking information.

16 October 2024 (Online lecture only)
Curating Egypt: the Egyptian collection at the University of Aberdeen
By Abeer Eladany (The University of Aberdeen)

The University of Aberdeen houses one of the largest Egyptian Collections in Scotland. Most of the objects were collected over the last few centuries through donations from alumni who travelled to and worked in Egypt throughout the 19th century, some occasional purchases from auctions, and through subscriptions to the Egypt Exploration Fund. 

The collection includes casts, squeezes, old photographs, and manuscripts of Egyptological interest but they have not yet been fully catalogued. This talk will highlight some of the donors, the early curators and some of the less-known objects from the collection.

Tickets are available here.

A poster advertising a Zoom lecture on the Egyptian Collection at the University of Aberdeen. The lecture is part of the "Friends of the Egypt Centre" series. The poster features an image of the Nile River and Abu Simbel, and includes the title of the lecture, the speaker's name, the date, time, location (Zoom only), admission price, and booking information.

20 November 2024 (Hybrid lecture)
Clothes make people! An insight into the study of ancient textiles
By Katarzyna Lubos (University of Bonn)

Textiles have always been among the most popular goods of mankind and are an important part of our material culture. Bright colours, different shapes, individual patterns, and complex weaving techniques have characterised clothing since its beginnings and continue to fascinate us today. They fulfil a wide range of functions. Textile craft techniques were not only used to produce essential everyday goods – first and foremost clothing – but also consumer goods, prestigious objects, and even luxury items. Their production requires skill and raw materials and is so time-consuming that many advances in textile technology had a broad influence on changes in economic and social history well into the modern era.

As part of a textile archaeological investigation, the textiles are comprehensively catalogued, chronologically classified, and examined regarding their function and production techniques. The aim is to reconstruct and better understand changes in the use and technology of textiles over long periods of time.

Tickets are available here.

A poster advertising a lecture on ancient textiles. The poster features an image of a child's tunic, and includes the title of the lecture, the speaker's name, the date, time, location (hybrid), admission price, and booking information. The poster also mentions that current members of the Friends of the Egypt Centre will receive an email link and will not need to book.

11 December 2024 (Hybrid lecture)
The Egypt Centre: new discoveries, new horizons
By Ken Griffin (The Egypt Centre)

Join us for a captivating exploration of the Egypt Centre’s recent achievements. This presentation will highlight groundbreaking research conducted on our collection in the last two years. We will also discuss recent exhibitions, including those relating to the Harrogate collection. Finally, we will unveil our ambitious plans for the redevelopment of the House of Death gallery, a project that will transform this space into a state-of-the-art immersive experience.

Tickets are available here.

A poster advertising a lecture about new discoveries and horizons in Egyptology. The poster features an image of a display case with an ancient Egyptian coffin inside, and includes the title of the lecture, the speaker's name, the date, time, location, admission price, and booking information. The poster also mentions that current members of the Friends of the Egypt Centre will receive an email link and will not need to book.

15 January 2025 (Online lecture only)
Title to come
By Bryony Renshaw (Macclesfield Museums)

Abstract to follow

Tickets are available here.

12 February 2025 (Online lecture only)
Travel, transport, and mobility in ancient Egypt: being on the move in pharaonic times
By Heidi Köpp-Junk (University of Trier)

Nowadays, we associate travel mainly with tourism, but this differs very much from the ancient Egyptian evidence. Who travelled in ancient Egypt and why, was only the high society on the move? Did they travel just for fun or for economic reasons? And last but not least, how did they travel? Heidi Köpp-Junk answers all these questions and shows the means of transport and locomotion ancient Egyptians used on their journeys, from the sedan chair of Hetepheres, Khufu’s mother, to the chariot of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.

Tickets are available here.

05 March 2025 (Hybrid lecture)
Conservation of artefacts from the Egypt Centre (2025 update)
By Cardiff Conservation Students

The Egypt Centre has a long-standing relationship with the conservation courses at Cardiff University, with students working on objects from the Centre, gaining experience in conservation and helping preserve the collection. The talk will highlight the recent conservation work carried out on Egypt Centre objects.

Tickets are available here.

A poster advertising a lecture on the conservation of artefacts from the Egypt Centre. The poster features an image of an ancient Egyptian bull with a mummified body on its back, and includes the title of the lecture, the presenters (Cardiff Conservation Students), the date, time, location, admission price, and booking information. The poster also mentions that current members of the Friends of the Egypt Centre will receive an email link and will not need to book.

16 April 2025 (Online lecture only)
Meretseger: what functions did she fulfil in New Kingdom religious beliefs and practice?
By Joanne Backhouse

Meretseger, ‘She who loves Silence’, was a deity favoured by Theban residents in New Kingdom Egypt. She was depicted zoomorphically, anthropomorphically, and as a composite being. Many of her manifestations include serpent forms and she is strongly associated with el-Qurna, the Peak of the West. She is represented on stelae, small-scale statues, figured ostraca, and in tombs. As a relatively new goddess to the Egyptian pantheon, there is a degree of freedom in the manner in which she is depicted, occasionally in sphinx form or winged. This lecture will examine her diverse iconography and consider what functions and roles she fulfilled in this time of strong personal piety, with ancient Egyptians expressing a close and intimate connection with their gods.

Tickets are available here.

A poster advertising a Zoom lecture about Meretseger, an Egyptian goddess. The lecture will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 7 PM by Joanne Backhouse. The lecture is hosted by the Friends of the Egypt Centre and is open to both members and non-members. Tickets for non-members cost £3.

07 May 2025 (In-person only)
Title to come
By Vivian Davies

Abstract to follow

Tickets are available here.

18 June 2025 (Online lecture only)
Title to come
By John J. Johnston

Abstract to follow

Tickets are available here.

Membership

Membership includes free entry into all Friends lectures. To become a member, please complete and return an application form.

Full Membership = £16.50 per year
Full family membership (2 adults and 2 children) = £26 per year
Concessionary individual = £10 per year
Concessionary family = £16 per year

Non-members are also welcome and can pay £3 per lecture.

Membership application form (Word)
Membership application form (PDF)

Friends of the Egypt Centre logo, featuring a detailed pencil sketch of an ancient Egyptian woman's face and the text "Friends of the Egypt Centre" below. There is also a stylized image of a filmstrip with Egyptian hieroglyphs and the website address.

Inscriptions

The logo for the newsletter "Inscriptions" published by the Friends of the Egypt Centre, Swansea. The logo features the word "INSCRIPTIONS" in bold, surrounded by a decorative border of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The phrase "The Newsletter of the Friends of the Egypt Centre, Swansea" is written below the title.

The Friends produce a newsletter called Inscriptions. We welcome contributions, whether interesting chatty snippets, or scholarly. If you would like to write an article or have any news or information you want to contribute, please contact the Editor Mike MacDonagh (Mike_Mac_Donagh@msn.com).

View back issues of Inscriptions.

Friends Committee Members

Chair: Ken Griffin
Vice Chair: Gareth Lucas
Treasurer: Wendy Goodridge / Donna Thomas
Secretary: Carolyn Graves-Brown
Membership Secretary: Wendy Goodridge (w.r.goodridge@swansea.ac.uk)
Marketing: John Rogers
Events Officer: Ken Griffin
Other committee members: Sam Powell, Mollie Beck, Meg Gundlach, Christian Knoblauch

The committee is made up of people with an interest in ancient Egypt and museums. If you are interested in joining the committee, please speak to any committee member, send us a Facebook message, or email the museum at egyptcentre@swansea.ac.uk.

Friends Committee Documents

Constitution
Roles and Responsibilities