Nefertiti's face

This month I present the Members' exclusive lecture from Joyce Tyldesley and explores the creation of a cultural icon, from its ancient origins to its modern context: its discovery, its display, and its dual role as a political pawn and artistic inspiration.

Possibly my favourite fact about the Egyptians that I discovered making this episode was that statues could be substituted for corpses. So you could use your statue in the afterlife instead of your body. This meant they liked to have full statues made... a bust like the one of Nefertiti was rare, not because they didn't like busts but because they didn't want to risk spending the afterlife a la Futurama as just a floating head. 

Want to find out more about ancient Egypt? More episodes are available below!