Ancient Egypt Magazine

Volume Four  Issue Three -- December 2003 / January 2004

Netfishing by Hapy  

With festive purchases in mind, since a number of readers have asked for information on Egyptian-related gift items, Hapy takes the opportunity to point you in the direction of some web sites full of good ideas. It's not surprising that one of these should be www.britishmuseum.co.uk, which offers not just one but four online shops, one of which is devoted to Egyptian books, games and gifts and one of which is especially for children.

I suspect that one popular item at this time of year will be the board game 'Secrets of the Tombs', a game for two to five players which has the classic combination of cards, playing pieces, questions, tasks and a threat. Each player is an explorer of the pyramid, placing passage tiles to make a way into chambers while occasionally drawing an 'Event Card' or 'Artefact Card', the latter with illustrations of actual items in the British Museum Egyptology collection. Players also have lives, which can, of course, be lost; and the whole is played against the deadly Ammut, who is also moving through the secret corridors.

For information on other board games produced by the designers, visit www.sophisticated-games.com where items based on another popular topic, 'The Lord of the Rings' can be viewed. If seeking a very special item, visit www.egyptianhouse.co.uk where, amongst decorated papyri, Egyptian perfume bottles, galibeyas and a quantity of cats, there are also some beautiful 22carat gold and gilded statuettes of Egyptian deities and animals. Tea cups and a leatherwork stool could also go down well. It's based on a design normally used for assisting in getting onto a camel. (Camel not included.)

Similar items can be obtained from the US based site, www.houseofegypt.com which offers an intriguing 'retail experience': a tour through the tomb of Ankhnefer-khonsu making choices as to how to safely negotiate ways through passages and chambers, being sent back to start if you choose incorrectly. If you choose correctly, you have the opportunity to purchase items at reduced prices. However the game appears to come to a halt if you don't actually choose to purchase - or was it just having a bad day?

Hmmm. Anyway, there is a simpler way to shop via the illustrated items if you prefer. There are games links too, including one called 'Ancient Museum' which will have you going round in circles. If you like galibeyas, you'll love Kaftan World (www.kaftanworld.com), a Scottish based company that sells - kaftans, unsurprisingly, and a range of velvet cloaks.
There was some hope of bringing information on 'Egyptian Odyssey', a DVD that should be available from the web site www.egyptianodyssey.com; however, it seems to have vanished and I'm not sure whether it's still available - if any readers know, please advise.

While searching,it seems that those who did purchase it also purchased the National Geographic's 'Secrets of the Pharaohs' (www.nationalgeographic.com) as well as Scooby Doo (huh?) and Madonna DVDs. Such is the nature of the odd information gained while fishing. Perhaps there's an opportunity there; possibly even now Madonna and Scooby in the Secret of the Pyramid is in its preproduction phase.

We were very sorry to hear of the imminent closure of the Museum Bookshop, a familiar landmark near the British Museum for all regular purchasers of books on archaeology and history. The loss of this small specialist bookseller, which long provided an excellent service to its international clientele, is a great pity. In its final weeks, the staff encourages people to purchase from a range of special offers best seen in the shop itself, but also view the web site www.themuseumbookshop.com
Finally, if members of the family must spend time surfing over Christmas, take the opportunity to extend knowledge too, by visiting the Liverpool Museum site, www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/nilefile where there's lots of information on the life of an ancient Egyptian youngster who will also guide you through a quiz. No time for a holiday here - he's got to help the crops to grow and so do you. Let's pray for a good inundation. Happy fishing!

HAPY

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