The history of the world is a history of movement.
The migration of people and objects – both voluntary and forced – is an important part of our histories. Yet migration is presented too often through colonial narratives in which people and objects from outside the UK are viewed as ‘other’.
Ancient History, Contemporary Belonging shows us that we are all connected.
This installation is a creative exploration of the migration of ancient historical objects by young people with migrant heritage. Drawing on archival research and their own lived experiences, they re-create the stories of the objects on display.
By exploring interconnected histories and inheritances, these works offer new perspectives about the migration of both contemporary young people and ancient historical objects.
The project is a collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Museum, Sheba Arts, and local young people from Iranian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Palestinian, and Syrian backgrounds.
The exhibition, which launches at Manchester Museum on 9 March 2023, consists of ancient objects from Manchester’s collection and artworks produced by young people, together with a creative map showing the movements of people and objects:
- “Broken Fragments of Palestine” / vase from Gurob, Egypt (English | Arabic)
- “Displaced” / statuette from Ur, Iraq (English | Arabic | Kurdish)
- “Home” / tiles from Amarna, Egypt (English | Arabic | Romanian)
- “Kurdish Pain” / ivory relief from Nimrud, Iraq (English | Kurdish)
- “The Journey” / sock from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt (English | Arabic)
- “The Lasting Fate of Zahaak” / finial from Luristan, Iran (English | Farsi)
- “The Tale of Migrants” / lamps from Syria-Palestine (English | Arabic)
- “Untitled” / arrowheads from Memphis, Egypt (English | Arabic | Farsi)
- “Untitled Dagger” / dagger from Luristan, Iran (English | Farsi)
- “Woman. Life. Freedom” / pendant from Luristan, Iran (English | Farsi)
We would love to hear your responses to the exhibition. Please leave comments in the box below.
Ancient History, Contemporary Belonging 
Thank you so much to all of you for the bravery and persistence it took to work together, to unearth the histories, to co-imagine and creatively communicate to us the messages you heard these objects speaking. Thank you for sharing your hearts, you and your families journeys, your moral outrage at the hiddenness and opaque anonymity of so many taken/ stolen objects tucked away in the dark of museum archives. Thank you for choosing these objects and bringing them out into the light to be seen. Your work is seen. Your art – poetry, animation, crafting of pieces and stories are much appreciated. I have learned much from you and the ways you have worked together as a research project team. These words are inadequate – Thank you. Sarah Gibson, museum tour member November 1 2024
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