Strata: Special Collections

The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 B.C.

In 1915, a joint archaeological expedition of Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts uncovered a rich but looted and ransacked tomb of a Middle Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.) Egyptian governor. Unfortunately, the looters damaged many of the finds, which meant that most of the artifacts needed major restoration. Now, thanks to the painstaking work of museum conservators, more than 250 objects from the governor’s tomb are being displayed together for the first time. The objects, including the governor’s brilliantly painted coffin, furniture, jewelry and dozens of delicately crafted wooden miniatures, provide an intimate portrait of a provincial official’s life (and death) in Middle Kingdom Egypt.

Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World