My very own ‘Egyptian artifacts’

I have always enjoyed, and to this day still enjoy, searching for pretty pebbles. One day, when I was around six years old, my mom and I were staying at a holiday home in Overijssel, the Netherlands. Naturally, I could not contain myself when I saw all the pebbles scattered around. I had to go and dig through them looking for treasure. I immediately liked the look of one particular pebble and discovered that, if you squint, it vaguely resembles an Ancient Egyptian scarab amulet.

At an even earlier age, around three years old, I started playing dress-up with a piece of fabric with an Ancient Egypt-inspired motif. It used to belong to my grandmother who would wear it as a skirt. This piece of fabric has been in my family for at least three generations, spanning a period of roughly 50 years.

In retrospect, I believe that these objects, together with things like the Dreamworks animation Prince of Egypt, sparked my interest in Ancient Egypt and, subsequently, led me to study Egyptology. I sometimes wonder whether it was by sheer coincidence that I came across the piece of fabric and the pebble at formative times in my life, or whether it was (divine) providence. Either way, these objects inspired me, and studying Egyptology shaped my early adult life. Moreover, during my studies I learned that I have a knack for languages, something that comes in handy in my current job as an editor.