Become a fan of h2g2 The British Museum, in London, UK, is one
of the world's most fascinating museums. It contains so much
information about so many of the world's people, the journeys
they have made, and how we all ultimately got to where we are
today. One thing that strikes visitors as they make their way
around the museum is the similarity - the many things in common
- that we today share with our ancestors. And also the similar
customs and practises that humans have always shared around the
world at any given point in their history. Here are a couple of
examples: Entering through the 'rear' entrance, there is a
display of Chinese porcelain. One of the artefacts is a 'grave
pass' - a painted tablet describing the life of a particular
inhabitant of a tomb, her life and deeds and her legal right,
under Chinese law, to occupy that tomb. Moving on into the
Egyptian display, we find examples of the Egyptian Book of the
Dead - documents that were placed with the deceased, describing
their life and times, and ev