British Museum artefacts: 5 objects you need to see

As a museum of pretty much anything, from largely anywhere and from almost every period of human history, you can bet the British Museum offers quite a bit to see.

London’s most famous museum is home to an astounding collection of over 8 million objects, within which you’ll find thousands of years of history and some pretty significant mileage – but what if you’ve only got an hour or two to hand?

From places distant in time and space to closer-to-home finds, these are the five historical marvels you need to see at the British Museum.

The Rosetta Stone

This stone slab may not look particularly awe-inspiring, but the Rosetta Stone it is in fact the key that has unravelled some of the greatest mysteries of ancient Egypt. Inscribed with a governmental decree, it isn’t what it is says that is so extraordinary, but the languages it’s written in. The meaning of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics (the little animal symbols used as an alphabet) had gone undeciphered for over 1000 years until this fragment was found in 1799, showing the same statement written in three scripts including ancient Greek and hieroglyphics. This allowed linguists to finally crack the code, an immeasurable tool in finding out more about the ancient civilisation.

The Sutton Hoo Helmet

This extraordinary archeological find was many thousands of miles from the banks of the Nile – in Sutton, to be precise. In 1939, historians discovered the undisturbed remains of a ship-burial dating back to the 7th century. While the wooden ship had largely rotted away, inside remained an unprecedented bounty of early Anglo-Saxon objects, including this opulently decorated, full face helmet, thought to have belonged to King Rædwald of East Anglia. The helmet, which is thought to have been equivalent to a crown, is one of the most extraordinary artefacts ever uncovered from this period in British history.

Hoa Hakananai'a

The Moai figures that stretched across the bays of Rapa Nui – or Easter Island – are one of the true artistic marvels of the world. Hoa Hakananai'a – a name meaning either “lost or stolen friend” or “breaking wave” – was brought to the UK in the 19th century. While not one of the largest examples of the iconic monolithic statues, it is widely considered one of the finest examples still intact today. Its face is extraordinarily expressive, demonstrating true artistry from its makers, and the myriad carvings on its back – featuring a bird, a ring and even female genitalia – demonstrate symbols important to the “bird man” religion once practiced on the island.

The Lewis Chessmen

Aside from all the mead-drinking, Medieval folk loved a bit of fun and games – chess, in this case. One day in 1831, this 12th century chess set was found on a sand dune on the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. No one is entirely sure how it got there, but it is thought to have been brought over from Norway and got a little lost along the way. Not only is it possibly one of the few complete chess sets from the period, but its walrus ivory and whales tooth figures are full of cheeky, characterful expression. 82 of the 93 figures are now in the collection of the British Museum.

Egyptian Mummy

You didn’t think we’d forget the mummies did you? The British Museum is famous the world over for its extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts, constituting the largest in the world outside of Egypt itself. Among this spectacular hoard are 120 human mummies. This guy, who is believed to have been called Djeho from an inscription on his elaborate cartonnage, is one of them. The mask on the exterior of his coffin is gilded with real gold, while inside his nose bears a fracture, indicating the common mummification practice of pulling a dead man’s brain out through his nostril.