Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan

The Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum houses an important collection of objects which illustrate every aspect of the cultures of the Nile Valley, from the Neolithic period (c. 10 000 BC) until the twelfth century AD.

The main activities of the department comprise the care, study, publication and display of the collection, but other projects include organising special temporary exhibitions both in the Museum and abroad, lending objects to international exhibitions, and assisting non-national and other institutions in Great Britain with loans. Departmental staff also undertake fieldwork in Egypt and Sudan.

The curatorial work of the department is supported by a team of administrative staff and museum assistants, who supervise the storage, movement and display of the collection. An illustrator, specialising in drawing Egyptian and Sudanese artefacts, prepares graphical material for publication and display.

A comprehensive library of material relating to the cultures of ancient and medieval Egypt and Sudan is housed in the department, along with archival material relating to the collections and the cultures in general.

William Smith-Burns

A circular letter soliciting money, apparently written by one William Smith-Burns, who is falsely described as a research scientist attached to the "British Museum of London" and an expert in Egyptian Occult Sciences has come to the Museum's attention as the result of people replying to Smith-Burns c/o the British Museum. The British Museum has no knowledge of this person or the project in connection with which he appears to be soliciting money. A copy of the circular letter, seen by the Museum, asks people to send money to Smith-Burns at a PO Box number located in Gland, Switzerland. The Museum is unable to supply any other information about the matter.