Nicholson Museum Entrance

On two Fridays in December a group of U3A students had the opportunity to visit ancient Egypt. Our guide on this fascinating journey was Lucy Bantermalis, an avid archaeologist who graduated BA Hons from UNE.

The first part of our journey was confined to Penrith where Lucy talked about Horemheb, a brilliant general who began his military career under the rule of Akenhaten and continued through the reign of Tutankhamen before becoming pharaoh himself.

Unusually for those times (around 1300 BCE) Horemheb lived well into old age, perhaps even into his nineties. It was remarkable when the average life expectancy varied from only 25-40 years. Not too many people back then would have managed the U3A age qualification!

It was also with some pride that I discovered that I was probably Nefertiti's father. Well, maybe not. Ay was thought to have been her father but, because "Ay" is pronounced "I", it was tempting to take the credit.

On the second Friday Lucy took a small but enthusiastic group to visit the Nicholson Museum at Sydney University. You will get a small idea from the photographs in this article just how impressive this museum is. We had half an hour to look over the exhibit before being treated to a two hour lecture and touchy-feely session by Egyptologist, Dr. Sophie Winlaw. (We got touchy-feely with a collection of artifacts—not with Sophie.)

Sophie is extraordinary. Without notes she spoke eloquently, fluently and with passion. She has been to several digs in Egypt and is returning to continue her research in January. Her knowledge is encyclopaedic and her delivery fascinating. She managed to keep all of us enthralled.

If you gain the idea from my enthusiasm that I was excited by the exhibition, that's not surprising. I'm writing this on the same day we visited the Nicholson and I'm still off with the pharaohs. (Forgive the dreadful pun.)

Lucy plans another trip to ancient Egypt over two Fridays commencing on February 8. Don't miss it. Check out the listing in the 2008 Class Timetable, elsewhere in this web page.

              —Story: David Evans