A London Region visit to The British Museum guided by Elena Paolini

How do you decipher a language that no one has been able to read for 1,500 years? Why were giant stone figures carved on one of the most remote islands on Earth? Could a game of chess reveal the humour and artistry of medieval craftsmen? And what can a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon burial tell us about kingship, power, and life after death? 
Join us for a lively 90-minute tour of the British Museum as we travel across continents and through thousands of years of history, discovering ten remarkable objects that have shaped our understanding of the past. Along the way we'll encounter sacred treasures, lost civilisations, magnificent works of art, and a few enduring mysteries.
This tour explores the stories behind the objects: the people who made them, the beliefs they held, the journeys these treasures have taken, and why they continue to fascinate us today.

MEETING PLACE: Gail’s on Bayley Street, next to the Jack Horner pub on the corner with Tottenham Court Road.
Nearest underground is Tottenham Court Road (Northern, Central and Elizabeth Lines). We will enter from the Montague Place entrance on a group ticket provided by the guide.
Finish - within the Museum.

Maximum 15 participants.

Elena Paolini is a qualified and accredited Camden guide and City of London guide, and has guided professionally since 2021. She is fascinated mostly by history with a small “h”: the everyday lives of the people who walked, lived and occasionally misbehaved on the very streets we are exploring today. Elena enjoys uncovering the small clues they left behind and piecing together their stories as we wander through the city.  Her favourite topics include
women’s history, medicine and crime, and she has a particular soft spot for London’s lesser-known corners.
In her spare time she volunteers as a tour guide at Highgate Cemetery or pokes around the Thames foreshore as a volunteer for the Thames Discovery Programme. She is also a member of London Historians.

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