ABSTRACT
This chapter takes further the practical exploration into the modes of visitor interaction with objects from Egyptian collections. The mechanisms of object selection and encounters and the extent to which people create narratives from sequences of viewed exhibits were investigated in Room 63, Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies at the British Museum. In this gallery there is an extreme contrast between spectacular objects and inconspicuous, silent ones. Dedicated to the display of the British Museum's world-famous collection representing ancient Egyptian funerary customs. 41 per cent of visitors cite ancient Egypt as the main reason for their visit to the British Museum. One visitor, still clearly disturbed from the experience, poignantly recalled her feelings on first seeing the human remains in Room 63. Visitors tended to accept the interpretation offered by the Museum in an uncritical manner. The analysis of the exhibition is derived from the concepts of design idioms, beauty and usability, flow and learning styles.
