Name: February Lecture 2026 "The Labyrinth" with Dylan Bickerstaffe
Start: 2026-02-07T14:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-07T15:00:00+00:00
Location: Conference Room, St Andrews Hospital, Northampton

February Lecture 2026 "The Labyrinth" with Dylan Bickerstaffe

Greek and Roman writers were adamant that the Labyrinth was Egypt's greatest wonder: as Herodotus said - surpassing even the pyramids. But what sort of building was it? Who built it, and why? Interestingly, the Labyrinth appeared to have originated in the Middle Kingdom (c. 2040 – 1640 B.C.), an era not well represented in the monumental record.
Dylan Bickerstaffe's talk follows the rediscovery of the labyrinth, excavations and finds made on the site, and the attempts of Petrie and others to reconstruct the form of this unique building. We also see how modern research has thrown new light on the problem, suggesting that clues may be found in surprising, yet familiar places.