Free
Archaeology
#95
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
A scholar’s treasure room: 80,000+ objects in narrow cases that reward slow looking. This is Egyptology without blockbuster theatrics—beads, tools, fabrics, and faces that show daily life across 5,000 years. Go for intimacy over spectacle and you’ll spot items you’ll never see elsewhere in London.
Opening Hours
Tuesday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
What's not to miss inside?
Tarkhan Dress
Oldest surviving woven garmentA linen shirt from c. 3000 BC—creases and hems from a life once lived, not a pharaoh’s tomb.
📍 Early Egypt cases, textiles section
Fayum Portraits
Ancient naturalism that stares backLifelike encaustic faces that once wrapped mummies—individuals, not icons.
📍 Roman Egypt gallery
Tools & Everyday Tech
How civilisation is built: one tool at a timeFrom flint blades to copper chisels—micro-innovations that made pyramids possible.
📍 Predynastic to New Kingdom cases
Amulets & Faience
Belief made portableHippos, scarabs, and protective deities mass-produced in glittering blue-green faience.
📍 Small finds cases
Inspire your Friends
- The museum’s linen ‘Tarkhan Dress’ is over 5,000 years old—the world’s oldest tailored garment with seams and a fitted neck.
- Sir Flinders Petrie pioneered ‘sequence dating’—using pottery styles to date sites—foundations of modern archaeological method.
- Only around 10% of the Petrie collection is on display at any time, yet it still feels densely packed.
