Reframing Egypt: Decolonizing the Ancient World in Museums & Memory

Fri. Nov. 21 04:00 PM - Fri. Nov. 21 05:00 PM

Dr. Zoe McQuinn

November 21, 2025 | 4:00-5:00pm | 2L17

This talk explores how museums around the world are reimagining ancient Egypt—not just as a land of temples and tombs, but as a modern nation reclaiming its heritage. Drawing from work with the Grand Egyptian Museum and Canadian institutions, this presentation examine how narratives of empire, archaeology, and display have shaped Global understandings of Egypt and how new museum practices are challenging colonial legacies. From the role of scientific racism in shaping early Egyptology to the politics of display in 21st-century exhibitions, this talk asks: who gets to tell the story of the ancient world, and how does that affect how we understand our past today?