Do you have a question you'd like answered? Email questions to: youngexplorers@britishmuseum.org
Question
How was the gun chair made to stick together?
Answer
Before cutting, the artist decided which pieces of the weapons to use. They were then cut using a circular saw with a special blade designed to cut through metal. The pieces were then welded together using a welding gun, which uses an electrical current and solder to weld the gun sections together.
Why has the British Museum such a huge collection of Egyptian art?
The British Museum started when a collector called Sir Hans Sloane died in 1753, leaving his collection to the nation. This was around 71,000 objects, only 150 of which were Egyptian.
However, in 1802, after Napoleon was defeated, a number of important Egyptian discoveries were donated to the Museum, including what is probably our most famous artefact, the Rosetta Stone. The Egyptian ruler at this time was very open to foreigners excavating Egyptian artefacts, and the British Consul in Egypt, Henry Salt, brought together two large collections of artefacts which he sent over to the Museum in 1817. The Museum then became known for its Egyptian collection.
Today we have more than 100,000 Egyptian artefacts!
Take a closer look at the Rosetta
Stone
Find out more about this ankh
amulet
Please could you tell me some facts on ancient Greek soldiers?
The Greeks were often at war with each other or with outside enemies. In early times, warriors used chariots to move round the battlefield. Most battles were fought by foot soldiers with heavy armour and equipment. There were also light-armed soldiers such as archers, javelin-throwers and slingers. Cavalry were sometimes used for sudden attacks and pursuing the defeated enemy. Some states such as Athens and Corinth also had powerful navies.
Each Greek city-state was defended by its own citizens. Soldiers had to buy their own armour and it was very expensive. The richer foot soldiers, who could afford the best armour, were called hoplites, and they played an important role in the army. This Corinthian helmet would have been worn by a hoplite.
Find out more about this
helmet
Find out more about war in ancient
Greece
What food did the Romans eat?
Poor Romans lived mainly on beans and lentils, bread, and sometimes a little meat. But if you were rich the sky was the limit.
For cena (dinner) a wealthy family would start with gustatio (appetisers). This is where you might have eaten a nice plump dormouse, stuffed with mince and pepper, and rolled in poppyseeds and honey!
Then came the mensae primae (main course). Lots of different types of roast and boiled meats - ham, venison, wild boar, hare, and even ostrich, flamingo and parrot. All meat was served with rich sauces, most containing garum, a sauce made from the entrails of fish which tasted a bit like worcestershire sauce.
Finally came secundae mensae (dessert). The Romans loved sweet things so there were lots of cakes and pastries. Some sound very much like cheesecake or egg custard. There was also lots of fruit.