By Catholic Review Staff
History is becoming that much more real for students of Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson as they adopt an ancient artifact with the intent of funding its conservation and exhibition.
Students at the all-girls school adopted an Egyptian ivory husk or “magical wand” through the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum’s “Adopt an Object” program.
The tusk, from around 1750 B.C., may have been used by nurses when children were born to draw protective circles around the mothers and birthing beds.
Christine Plumer, a 1992 art history graduate from Hopkins, and an art history teacher at NDP, was familiar with the new Archeological Museum and saw an opportunity to present lessons on ancient art in a contemporary way.
“I thought this was a great way to make art history real for the students, to get them involved in the conservation of an ancient Egyptian object and be able to view the collection and the actual piece first hand,” Plumer said in a statement.
Students already held a “saddle shoe shine” fundraiser, which raised $100 for the wand, and additional fundraisers are planned throughout the year.