"Who could paint as well as that?"

"Who could paint as well as that?", a question posed by an eight year old in our party as we admired the beautiful, delicate and very neat painting on the tomb of Sheri-ankh, an Egyptian woman in her early twenties who died around 2,400 years ago.

These intricate patterns tell a story about Sheri-ankh's life and her religious beliefs. The Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death, but could Sheri-ankh ever have imagined that her mummified body and tomb would end up on display in Northern England in 2012? That her life would make an impact in the twenty-first century, particularly impressing eight year olds with the painting skills of the Ancient Egyptians.

If you too would like to admire the work of the craftsmen or women who painted Sheri-ankh's coffin, visit Secret Egypt: Unravelling Truth from Myth at Tullie House, Carlisle.