Author: Abby Dzwik
Museum Studies Intern at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History – Fall 2023
My experience at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History was unique and hands-on, opposing the traditional stereotypes of internships. I was fortunate enough to learn the inner workings of the museum through participating in several ongoing Egyptology projects, including cataloging objects, carefully moving artifacts, recording visitor surveys, and applying conservation methods to the Dahshur Boat.
Inside the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt, I worked with Dr. Lisa Haney—assistant curator and resident Egyptologist—and fellow interns to find and record artifacts for an upcoming exhibition catalog. We transported the objects, ranging from large carved stelae to cute mini vessels, to Simmons Gallery. I helped organize the artifacts into cabinets based on their groupings in the catalog, which required several spreadsheets to keep track. As a student studying archaeology, being able to constantly interact with artifacts is a remarkable learning opportunity.
The CMNH has increasingly engaged itself in public outreach. I witnessed the growth of a new lab space in the Simmons Gallery. A large section of the gallery is encircled by a glass wall, which encourages visitors to watch conservators at work. Within the lab, I spent time learning conservation methods with Mostafa Sherif, a wood conservator. He taught me how to apply diluted acids to dissolve salts and build up on the planks of the Dahshur Boat, an ancient Egyptian funerary boat from the 19th century BCE.
On Fridays, I switched from interacting with objects to spending hours observing visitors and taking surveys for From Egypt to Pittsburgh, an exhibition detailing the life of several artifacts. Sitting on the bench in front of Polar World, I watched visitors experience the small exhibit, careful not to appear strange as I attempted to record any relevant dialogue. Most of the time, visitors exclaimed “What is this?” but I was often impressed by those who engaged in profound discussions on the ethics of museum collections.
The museum environment is arranged in multiple moving parts, in which one mistake or delay can prove rather anxiety-inducing. In one instance, I observed glaziers taking down huge glass panels framing a case with two beautiful Egyptian sarcophagi. I anxiously watched three men fit themselves into a tiny, enclosed space. When one glazier almost brushed up against a sarcophagus, an air of nervousness echoed throughout the hall. Despite these tribulations, the working environment at the CMNH is friendly, understanding, and clearly filled with people who care tremendously about their work.
Pictured in the photo, Abby Dzwik, handling an Egyptian clay plate.