Hunting for Treasures & Odd Artifacts in the British Museum

Considered to be one of the largest museums in the world, the British Museum is truly magnificent. With free admission, it’s a must-see stop on your first trip to London. People cherish a chance to visit the British Museum and dedicate an entire day or two to admire its vast treasures. Be it the Rosetta Stone, Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs, Parthenon Marbles, Egyptian Mummies, Hoa Hoakananai’a (The Easter Island statue below), or more obscure ones, like the artifacts we were after.

With over 80 MILLION items in its collection, only one percent is currently on display – that’s 800,000 things to look at, and you don’t want to miss a single piece! 😊 Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of time on our hands, so we headed straight to the exhibits we came to see.

No matter what draws you to the British Museum, here are a couple of highlights that are NOT to be missed:

The Assyrian Gallery

If you ever watched paranormal TV shows, like “Ancient Aliens”, you may recognize these unique reliefs of winged supernatural creatures, wondering where they came from and why. What significance did they have?

The Assyrian Gallery is hands-down one of our favorites, especially the arch guarded by the ginormous human-headed winged bulls. At one point, these beasts guarded the palace of an Assyrian king from evil. Now they protect the Gallery’s reliefs from tourists. 😉

The Egyptian Gallery

Most people flock to the British Museum for its extensive collection of Egyptian artifacts. On the ground floor, right across from the Assyrian Gallery, is where you find the captivating sculptures and artwork of Ancient Egypt.

Head upstairs to examine the mummies and unique relics related to life, death, and afterlife in Egypt, acquired by the museum over the centuries.

Odd Artifacts

John Dee’s Collection

After reading “The Secrets of Immortal Nicholas Flamel” series by Michael Scott and having an opportunity to visit England, we were eager to see the artifacts of the main villain of the books. John Dee also happens to be a key influencer of the Renaissance era, who has shaped Western civilization the way we know it today. It took us two separate trips to London to catch a glimpse of his spellbinding possessions. Certain items were not displayed at the time of our first visit to the British Museum, so, of course, we had to come back. 😊

Besides being a worthy adversary in Michael Scott’s book series, the real John Dee was quite a star of his time (the 16th century — beginning of the 17th century). A trusted advisor to Elizabeth I ( a.k.a. “Her Majesty’s Merlin” ), politician and, allegedly, a spy for the Crown, who signed his intelligence reports simply with 007. Yes, the original James Bond! John Dee was also a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, navigator, and alchemist. The ultimate Renaissance man – a sorcerer, scientist, and teacher who worked in secrecy.

Dr. John Dee was a collector of knowledge, a proud owner of one of the largest private libraries in Europe. By some accounts, he was the one who introduced the mysterious Voynich manuscript to the public. Besides all that, being a deeply religious man, John Dee was also in pursuit of communication with angels via the Enochian language that his colleague Edward Kelly was using in his divinations.

The exact time of John Dee’s death and the place of his grave are still unknown… What are the chances that he discovered the secret of immortality through the Philosopher’s Stone and still walking the Earth among us? 😊

Lewis Chess

Originated in India and popularized in Persia during the 6th century AD, the game of chess quickly took over the world. Discovered on the Isle of Lewis, off the shores of Scotland, these particular chessmen had been carved in the 12th century somewhere in Northern Europe. Lewis Chess might be of Icelandic or Norwegian Vikings origin.

The adorable chess pieces with funny facial expressions are popping up all over modern culture. If they look familiar, blame “Harry Potter” movies or Disney’s “Brave”. You might encounter them in games and comics as well.

We’ve never seen such an intricately craved chess set and wanted to check out the real deal at the British Museum.

Tips for your first-time visit to the British Museum

Planning & Timing

Plan ahead. If you want to see particular artifacts in the vast collection of the British Museum, do your research. Download or print out maps of the layout in advance. If you aren’t sure where an artifact or section is, ask the helpful curators or just grab a map upfront. Allocate more time to appreciate the entire collection. And, of course, come back if you can! Make sure to check their hours of operation too.

How to get to the British Museum

We used Hop On/Hop Off buses both times we visited the British Museum. The first time it worked like a charm, the second time — not so much. We were stuck in the middle of London for almost an hour, waiting for a bus to show up. The easiest way is via the Tube (Tottenham Court Road or Holborn stations are the closest). Though this method is quicker, it doesn’t allow you to see the city as you would atop a Hop On/Hop Off bus.

Off the Beaten Path Idea

If books and manuscripts are your things, and you prefer avoiding crowds, skip the British Museum altogether. Jump on the Tube and head to the British Library (King’s Cross St. Pancras station) instead to see the “Treasures of the British Library” Gallery (free admission). We pored over Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebooks, saw Jane Austen’s desk, original scribbles of The Beatles’ songs, and love letters to Ann Boleyn from Henry VIII. And, of course, the original Magna Carta is still there, and more!

In Conclusion

That was our experience hunting for treasures and odd artifacts in the British Museum. Hope you enjoyed it! We highly recommend visiting the British Museum on your first visit to London. The massive collection of world cultures and history all in one place is simply awe-inspiring, and you’ll remember your experience for years to come.

Stay tuned for more travel stories in our series of articles about the UK! Have you checked our adventure in Stonehenge? What about Edinburgh? And, if you are in our home in the San Francisco Bay Area and interested in Egyptian culture, symbolism, and Alchemy – visit our favorite Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum!

Have you been to the British Museum? What are your favorite memories of it? We love hearing from you, so comment below and subscribe to our blog! 😊