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An exhibition of priceless, ancient treasures will be on display at Avondale College throughout August.

Hundreds of artefacts, many thousands of years old will be open to the public as part of the Land of the Pharaohs exhibition in the college Library, August 6 - 30.

The centrepiece of the collection, owned by an Avondale College staff member, is a large urn, found at the world's oldest pyramid at Sakkhara, Egypt. Known as the 'step pyramid' it was built by King Zoser almost 4,000 years ago. The urn contained oil or wine and was buried to provide these items for the dead king.

The collection also contains ancient and rare glassware--bottles, vases and bangles dating back as far as 800BC, including 'tear bottles' used by professional mourners who were hired to attend a funeral. Jugs, jars, pots and vases from Israel and Jordan, dating from the time of Christ, will also be on display.

Included in the exhibition are numerous exact replicas of artefacts from boy-king Tutankhamen's tomb including the famous golden death mask. Discovered in 1922 the golden treasures highlight the glory and wealth of the great Egyptian dynasties.

Visitors will be given the opportunity to witness how scripting began with copies of the oldest tablets known to man on display, observe how papyrus was made in ancient Egypt, view cuneiform tablets from Ancient Ur, Nineveh and Babylon, and see the parchment and copper scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Replicas of famous historical documents can also be seen, including the Rosetta Stone which led to the unlocking of the mysterious Egyptian hieroglyphs. The Cylinder of Cyrus which details the capture of Babylon, the ancient world's largest city along with tablets from Assyria, Ebla, Egypt and Babylon outlining some of the greatest events of ancient history can also be seen.

The exhibit will be open 9am-4pm Monday to Thursday. Guided tours are available for school and community groups by appointment only.

For bookings and additional information please contact Avondale College Library on 02 4980 2257 or by email on librarian@avondale.edu.au or visit the Library s website http://library.avondale.edu.au