A museum is considering renaming its “Discoveries Gallery” following work to decolonise its collection.

       The National Museum of Scotland’s gallery, housing objects including Egyptian mummies and Assyrian tablets, has been reviewed to highlight how treasures were acquired “as legacies of imperial and colonial history”.

       The gallery’s title “Discoveries” could be dropped following changes to its content, with the museum set to review the title.

       It follows internal email discussions between staff seen by The Telegraph, in which it was stated: “The focus of the gallery has moved away from the concept of discovery – especially by individuals.

       “It’s a very outdated term and doesn’t sit well in the context of the Museum’s commitment to decolonisation and the work that has been done so far on this gallery.”

       The concept of great discoveries made by Europeans, including Captain Cook’s “discovery” of Australia, has been critiqued amid a wider decolonisation debate because native populations already had knowledge of things often claimed to be “discoveries”. It has been argued that using the term “discovery” therefore prioritises the subjective perspective of the arriving, often colonising, parties.

       The National Museum of Scotland has itself stated that it considers the word “discovery” to be inappropriate when used in relation to colonial exploration.

       Items held in the Discoveries Gallery in Edinburgh include the mummy of the priest Iufenamun from Egypt, an Assyrian tablet from Nimrud in modern-day Iraq, and an Iroquois club collected in North America.

       The National Museum of Scotland has said it had undertaken work to address how certain items ended up in its galleries.

       A spokeswoman said: “Our Discoveries Gallery has been reviewed and changes made to panels and interpretive text to better reflect how the objects displayed came into our museums, including as legacies of imperial and colonial history.”

       She added: “In a second phase of development, we intend to introduce new content bringing different perspectives and stories into the gallery and this phase, as is often the case with this work, will include a review of the gallery name.”

       The gallery will be changed to focus on the history of collection, how objects are acquired, and why ancient and contemporary items are brought to the museum.

       Any new name will be aimed at better reflecting the new themes explored in the gallery, the museum has stated.

       But the review of “Discoveries” has received criticism, with Zareer Masani, historian of the British Empire, saying: “Of course, one person’s discovery might have been someone else’s familiar home, but that could make such encounters all the more exciting for the participants.

       “A pity that some people’s obsession with colonialism and slavery is busy denuding our historical landscape of all its colour and excitement.”