International Day of Archaeology 2024

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ARCHAEOLOGY / THE MUMMY RETURNS

Exoticism will dominate the museum. COME WITH YOUR CHILDREN!

The 8th edition of the traditional IDA will this year focus on the work and history of the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University. (After nearly 70 years, our famous MOST MUMMY, an approximately 3000-year-old Egyptian coffin, will return to Most.) We also invite you to experience exoticism from the Far East of Asia to the scorching savanna of South Africa, from the icy tundra of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego to the sun-scorched bush of Australia. In the program WORKSHOPS FOR SMALL AND BIG, you will try making Egyptian jewelry or papyrus, writing hieroglyphs, Egyptian temple paintings, etc. For both small and large visitors of IDA 2024, we announce a COMPETITION for the MOST BEAUTIFUL EXOTIC COSTUME. The winner will receive a small exotic surprise (more information on the website).

This year's program of the archaeology festival:

1 PM: Opening of the International Day of Archaeology

1 PM – 5 PM: WORKSHOPS FOR SMALL AND BIG

3 PM: Opening of the exhibition BETWEEN PRAGUE AND CAIRO. 100 years of Czech Egyptology.

4 PM: Guided tour of the exhibition BETWEEN PRAGUE AND CAIRO

with Egyptologist Prof. PhDr. Ladislav Bareš, CSc.

5:30 PM: Opening of the exhibition FROM MOST TO THE END OF THE WORLD. Exoticism in the collections of the Regional Museum and Gallery in Most

and announcement of the competition for the MOST BEAUTIFUL EXOTIC COSTUME

6 PM: Guided tour of the exhibition FROM MOST TO THE END OF THE WORLD with historian Mgr. Jiří Šlajsna.

PRESS RELEASE:

The Most Mummy returns on October 19, 2024, for the archaeology festival.

After 70 years, our famous "Most Mummy," an almost 3000-year-old Egyptian coffin, will return to Most. The mummy was part of the collections of the pre-war Most museum and during the 1950s, as part of the then centralization of collections, it was transferred to the Náprstek Museum, which is part of the National Museum in Prague.

The coffin will become the centerpiece of a new exhibition at OMGM titled Between Prague and Cairo with the subtitle 100 years of Czech Egyptology. The exhibition was realized in cooperation with the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University and the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African, and American cultures and will introduce you to the rich and successful history of Czechoslovak and Czech Egyptology over the past 105 years. After the opening of the exhibition, there will be a guided tour with the prominent Czech Egyptologist Prof. Ladislav Bareš, CSc.

The opening of the exhibition and the guided tour will be part of the rich program of the 8th edition of the International Day of Archaeology at OMGM, on Saturday, October 19, from 1 PM to 7 PM. This year's program will thus focus on the work and history of the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University.

Another part of the program will be the opening of the exhibition From Most to the End of the World. The exhibition is dedicated to the exotic collections of the Regional Museum and Gallery in Most, mainly from the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century. It will present interesting museum collection items from almost all continents. From the Far East of Asia to the scorching savanna of South Africa. From the icy tundra of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego to the sun-scorched bush of Australia.

Exoticism will also be featured in the exhibit of the month of October at the museum reception, which will showcase a pair of leather sandals adorned with copper from the region of Sudan or Ethiopia, likely from the 19th century.

The program of the International Day of Archaeology will include "workshops" for children and adults, where you can try making Egyptian jewelry or papyrus, writing hieroglyphs, Egyptian temple paintings, etc. In the "exotic lounge" with a photo corner, you can borrow props for a memorable photo, and you might even meet a pharaoh. The Regional Museum and Gallery in Most announces a competition for the most beautiful exotic costume for all visitors. The winner will receive a small surprise. Refreshments will also be themed. For more information on the IDA program or changes, follow www.muzeummost.cz.

Text: Jiří Šlajsna,