Summer of Classics 2013: Berlin (Part 3: MORE Museums)

Whilst visiting Museum Island, it would be foolish not to spend some time in the Pergamon Museum (http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?lang=en&objID=27), renowned for it's wonderful collections.  It was very hard not to be blown away by the sheer scale of some of the pieces on display, notably the Pergamon altar, the market gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar gate.  Although these colossal exhibits were very impressive (I also found the 'dragons' in the decorations on the Ishtar gate, with the head and body of a snake, the front legs of a lion, the back legs of a bird and the tail of a scorpion, rather sweet!), I found the Uruk exhibition the most interesting, since it displayed artifacts of a civilization I have never studied or explored in any great detail.  I love seeing examples of writing from the ancient world, and so the extensive inscriptions on many of the pieces in this exhibition were very exciting, though I was unable to actually read them.  Before my trip to Berlin, I'd been told many great things about the Pergamon museum, so despite enjoying the displays I saw there, I was slightly disappointed that a) there weren't more things on display, and b) the air conditioning system seemed to be on strike--less than ideal on a very hot day!

Clockwise from top left: Pergamon exterior, Miletus market gate, Ishtar gate, basalt carving from Uruk.

The final museum I visited on Museum Island was the Altes Museum (http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?lang=en&objID=24). This was probably my favourite of the four museums I visited, since the collections there were the most closely linked to the areas I am studying.  I spent a lot of time in the Greek galleries, in preparation for some of my modules next year, and also encountered some pieces which fell under topics I have already studied, such as Greek drinking cups and artifacts from Greek sanctuaries, so it was nice to be able to appreciate them with existing insight.  I was also happy to find artifacts which related to my volunteering work at Liverpool World Museum, particularly ash chests. I had cataloged images of Roman ash chests from the Ince Blundell collection at the World Museum, so it was great to see some more chests from the Roman period, and look at the various decorations on each one.  Not only did the Altes Museum have a collection of Roman ash chests, but also some from the Etruscan period, which I had not seen before.  It was interesting to compare the styles of the ash chests, and see similarities between the two cultures.

Clockwise from top left: Altes exterior, collection of Roman ash chests, fragment of a funerary monument with equestrian battle (Athens, 400BC),Vase depicting Dionysus at a symposium with satyrs and maenads (425-400BC).

Classics and Ancient History PhD student at the University of Liverpool, working on Lucan, Necromancy, and Civil War. Generously funded by the AHRC NWCDTP. Also enjoys music, polo, and gin. For more information, head here: www.nwcdtp.ac.uk/current-students/student-profiles/elaine-sanderson/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts!

Image

The Importance of Going Outside

Ever since I was a secondary school student revising for my GCSE exams, I have been reminded time and again by well-meaning people of the importance of taking regular breaks when working.  Carefully scheduled 5/10 minutes here and there to break up the monotony of sitting at a desk, staring at books/screens and scribbling notes.  As a PhD student, I thought I was doing pretty well with this.  I often get up to make warm drinks in the kitchen next door or walk a few meters down the hallway to collect documents from the printer.   And yet, I kept finding myself angsty and frustrated, at times even a little claustrophobic, as I sat at my desk, working away on a project I continue to find exciting and stimulating.  Right now, I'm not at my most stressed. I'm not chasing nine different people trying to tie ends up for a conference, I'm not simultaneously working on four completely different assessments, and though my mental health has been iffy as of late (cheers for that, depr
Image

Learning to Love…Ovid!

 In light of yesterday’s Grand National, I thought I’d turn to a Latin poet whom I have recently come to appreciate.   I first encountered Ovid at around the age of fourteen, when I was handed his guide to picking up women at the racecourse, taken from his work Amores, as a translation exercise.   I was slightly alarmed to be presented with a text which advocated spying on women as they watched the horses go round the track, and sneakily groping people amongst the crowded stands, and so pigeonholed Ovid as a rather immature, trivial and tedious poet.   It’s safe to say, we got off on the wrong foot. Photo by Greg Roberts. Grand National day 2014.  I wonder how many race goers took Ovid's advice to heart... I ran into Ovid again at AS level, with Book VIII of his epic poem, The Metamorphoses being assigned as a set text.   Once again, I was far from overwhelmed.   Reading his portrayal of the various exploits of Scylla and Daedalus, I felt that this was an extremely fo
Image

Summer of Classics 2015: Sicily and the Valle dei Templi

Every year, the Exeter University Classics Society organise one of the highlights of their calendar: a trip abroad to visit various ancient sites.  A wonderful post-exams treat, these trips allow students to visit sites and see artefacts studied as part of their courses, develop and broaden their perspectives on the Classical World, and catch up with friends after weeks of isolation in the library.  This year's trip to Sicily was a lovely way to round off the final year of my undergraduate studies, and mark the end of my Classics Society presidency.  Organising and managing students can be challenging at the best of times (trust me, it's like trying to herd fish!), so when you throw in flight bookings, risk assessments, and passports, everything becomes that bit more complicated.  Eventually, our adventure got underway, thanks to the hard work and limitless patience of some very dedicated committee members.  We embarked upon a glorious Sicilian adventure, travelling in style i