Flinders Petrie was a renowned Egyptologist, holding the first Chair of Egyptology within the UK. He is famous for discovering the Merneptah Stele, which details the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah’s victory over the Libyans. The stele is now housed in the Egyptian museum in Cairo. Petrie also excavated significantly at Fayum, especially on burials from the Roman period, which has previously not been excavated. He made significant discoveries here, including the excavation of large numbers of intact burial chambers, which subsequently led to the discovery of the Fayum mummy portraits. He sold much of his collection to UCL (University College London), where it is now housed in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
These particular beads were from an excavation at Gurob, an important palace, town and necropolis located at the entrance to the Fayum. They have been re-strung, the original thread long eroded, into bright turquoise strings of beads.
To find out more about Egyptian faience please see our relevant blog post: What is Egyptian Faience?
