3,300-Year-Old Tomb with Pyramid Entrance Discovered in Egypt

By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor   |   March 30, 2014

A tomb newly excavated at an ancient cemetery in Egypt would have boasted a pyramid 7 meters (23 feet) high at its entrance, archaeologists say.

The tomb, found at the site of Abydos, dates back around 3,300 years. Within one of its vaulted burial chambers, a team of archaeologists found a finely crafted sandstone sarcophagus, painted red, which was created for a scribe named Horemheb. The sarcophagus has images of several Egyptian gods on it and hieroglyphic inscriptions recording spells from the Book of the Dead that helped one enter the afterlife.

There is no mummy in the sarcophagus, and the tomb was ransacked at least twice in antiquity. Human remains survived the ransacking, however. Archaeologists found disarticulated skeletal remains from three to four men, 10 to 12 women and at least two children in the tomb.

Newly discovered pyramid

The chambers that the archaeologists uncovered would have originally resided beneath the surface, leaving only the steep-sided pyramid visible.

"Originally, all you probably would have seen would have been the pyramid and maybe a little wall around the structure just to enclose everything," said Kevin Cahail, a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, who led excavations at the tomb.

The pyramid itself "probably would have had a small mortuary chapel inside of it that may have held a statue or a stela giving the names and titles of the individuals buried underneath," Cahail told Live Science. Today, all that remains of the pyramid are the thick walls of the tomb entranceway that would have formed the base of the pyramid. The other parts of the pyramid either haven't survived or have not yet been found.

William H. Peck, The Material World of Ancient Egypt - A Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2014.03.39

William H. Peck, The Material World of Ancient Egypt.   Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013.  Pp. xiii, 214.  ISBN 9780521713795.

Reviewed by Eleni Manolaraki, University of South Florida

From Greek and Roman antiquity to modern popular culture, Egypt has fascinated with its monumental architecture, exotic customs, and mysterious royals (pyramids, mummies, King Tut, to name a few). The enduring appeal of major Aegyptiaca however has traditionally diverted attention away from the Egyptians’ ordinary objects and daily life. This imbalance has been partly remedied by a few important studies,1 but as ongoing excavations and new technologies reveal previously unknown or misunderstood aspects of daily life, revisions and updates are essential. William H. Peck, a retired curator of ancient art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, takes on the task of demystifying Egyptians by examining the materials they used to make daily tasks feasible and comfortable. His panorama of cultural snapshots makes for a thorough and vivid introduction to Egypt’s material culture, especially suited to general readers and undergraduate students. Classicists, historians, anthropologists, and anyone interested in the physical tribulations of ancient or non-industrialized societies will also find this book valuable for its insights into human resourcefulness.

The first three chapters (9-34) are a broad but discerning introduction to the land, its history, and the emergence of material culture as a research field. Egypt’s geography, geology, and climate are emphasized as the prime influences on the form and function of artifacts, from houses and temples to wigs and underwear. A chronological outline delineates royal periods from 5300 BCE to 395 CE, and clarifies terms (‘pre-dynastic,’ ‘old-kingdom,’ ‘first-intermediate,’ etc.) that are used later to date developments in manufacture. Peck draws out significant continuities between periods, but also points out transformations within this vast timeline and cautions against erroneous extrapolations from one period to the next. The last introductory chapter sets developments in the documenting and evaluating of materials within the history of exploration in Egypt, from the Ottoman occupation of the country in the sixteenth century onwards. Peck weaves together historical, political, and methodological landmarks. Highlights include Napoleon’s 1798 invasion of Egypt and the monumental Description of Egypt produced by his expeditionary group, early archaeologists’ destructive probing methods and their discarding of ‘commonplace’ objects, the acquisition of Egyptiana by European museums through unrestricted export policies, the influence of the physical sciences on Egyptology, shifts in museum curatorship from royal to ordinary artifacts, and the contribution of new technologies such as GPS distance sensing and the electron microscope. As research has become more efficient and cultural attitudes have evolved, the Egyptians’ daily practices are understood better than ever before.

Wednesday Weekly # 26

Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!


BBC NEWS

By Neil Bowdler:

The digital unwrapping of the Egyptian priest Neswaiu
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26664927

Digitally unwrapping an Egyptian mummy
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26649968

THE INDEPENDENT

By FARAH NAYERI:

The Nile: Downriver through Egypt's Past and Present by Toby Wilkinson
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-nile-downriver-through-egypts-past-and-present-by-toby-wilkinson-9206121.html

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

By Samia Fakhry:

Restoration of Khufu’s boat
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/5736/47/Restoration-of-Khufu%E2%80%99s-boat.aspx

MAIL ONLINE

Archaeologists unveil two centuries-old pharaoh Amenhotep III statues in Egypt
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2587827/Travel-news-Archaeologists-unveil-two-new-pharaoh-Amenhotep-III-statues-Egypt.html

THE BOLTON NEWS

£1 million bid to 'build' a pharaoh's tomb in Bolton
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11094504.__1_million_bid_to__build__a_pharoah_s_tomb/?ref=var_0

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

The jar is gone !
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/03/24/the-jar-is-gone/

LUXOR TIMES

The Czech mission discovers an Old Kingdom mummy in Abu Sir
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/03/the-czech-mission-discovers-old-kingdom.html

29 Byzantine gold coins found in Deir El Bakhit in Luxor
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/03/29-gold-byzantine-coin-found-in-deir-el.html

Another tomb will be open for public in Deir El Medina
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/03/another-tomb-will-be-open-for-public-in.html

Minister of Antiquities decides to move King Tut facsimile to GEM in 2015
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/03/minister-of-antiquities-decides-to-move.html

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

New blogentries:

Online Photographs: Breasted's 1919-1920 Expedition to the Near East
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2010/05/new-born-digital-publication-from.html

Open Access Journal: The Ostracon: The Journal of the Egyptian Study Society
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2012/11/open-access-journal-ostracon.html

EGYPT AT THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM

Amelia B. Edwards – A Thousand Miles up the Nile
http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/amelia-b-edwards-a-thousand-miles-up-the-nile/

EGYPTIAN'S

By Timothy Reid:

Discovery of the Mummy of Ramses I
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/03/discovery-of-mummy-of-ramses-i.html

HAIR AND DEATH IN ANCIENT EGYPT

by María Rosa Valdesogo:

The Egyptian Verbs for “Disheveling Hair”
http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2014/03/25/the-egyptian-verbs-for-disheveling-hair/

UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Egyptian glass of the first millennium AD: an archaeological and scientific approach
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/calendar/articles/20140327c

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANIMAL BIO BANK

Vatican visit for the Bio Bank team
http://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/vatican-visit-for-the-bio-bank-team/

EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA

Science, Technology and Innovation
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2014/03/sceince-technology-and-innovation.html

AHRAM ONLINE

By Nevine El-Aref:

Skeleton from 5th ancient Egyptian dynasty found in Abusir
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/97465/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Skeleton-from-th-ancient-Egyptian-dynasty-found-in.aspx

AERA

By Hanan Mahmoud (MSA archaeologist):

Fighting For Archeology – The Silo Building Complex
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/fighting-for-archeology-the-silo-building-complex/

LIVESCIENCE

By Owen Jarus:

Roman Emperor Dressed As Egyptian Pharaoh in Newfound Carving
http://www.livescience.com/44350-carving-shows-roman-emperor-dressed-as-egyptian-pharaoh.html

By Megan Gannon:

Egyptian Grape Guard's Ancient Contract Decoded
http://www.livescience.com/44321-egyptian-grape-guard-ancient-contract.html

DAILY NEWS EGYPT

Two more colossal pharaoh statues unveiled in Egypt
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/03/25/two-colossal-pharaoh-statues-unveiled-egypt/

THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST

Episode XXVI: The Fire Rises
http://egyptianhistory.libsyn.com/episode-xxvi-the-fire-rises

UCL MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS BLOG

By Alice E Stevenson:

Pottery Project Guest Blog: The Enigmatic Fish Dishes of the Petrie Museum
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2014/03/21/pottery-project-guest-blog-the-enigmatic-fish-dishes-of-the-petrie-museum/

CALGARY SSEA

Lecture: Ramesses II and the 19th Dynasty

Date: 7:30 – 9:00 pm, 04-Apr-2014

Description:

The 19th Dynasty in ancient Egypt was a period of great strength.  During the foundation of this dynasty, Egypt would extend its influence to its greatest extent into the Levant.  With large reserves of wealth, large architectural projects would be constructed that come to rival the pyramids in their size and splendor.  Through this lecture, we will discuss the general political developments and take a close look at the artistic works that characterize the period.
http://www.calgaryssea.ca/2014/03/24/lecture-ramesses-ii-and-the-19th-dynasty/

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Three weeks in
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2014/03/three-weeks-in.html

EGYPTOLOGICAL

By Kate Gingell:

Photographing the Past – The Gaddis Legacy
http://egyptological.com/2014/03/20/photographing-the-past-the-gaddis-legacy-12088

DEMONTHINGS - ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

‘What’s in a name? Demonic names in the Book of Two Ways’ lecture by Zuzanna Bennett

The Demonology Project’s Zuzanna Bennett will be giving a lecture as part of the Friends of the Egypt Centre lecture series. 

The ancient Egyptians came into contact with a wide range of supernatural beings in daily life and in the afterlife, some of which are described in the texts and images decorating the coffins of the Middle Kingdom. This lecture will examine the demonic beings encountered in a section of the Coffin Textsknown as the Book of Two Ways, focusing on their varied and often terrifying names, which range from ‘He whose face and tongue are dreadful’ to ‘Aggressive one’.
http://www.demonthings.com/whats-in-a-name-demonic-names-in-the-book-of-two-ways-lecture-by-zuzanna-bennett/

ACROSSBORDERS

New post by Huda Magzoub: 

Two months at the archaeological site of Sai Island
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/two-months-at-the-archaeological-site-of-sai-island/

ASOR BLOG

Gender, Identity and Memory in The Mortuary Practices of Elite Women in Eighth-Sixth Century BCE Egypt
http://asorblog.org/?p=7073

AMARA WEST PROJECT BLOG

Amara West 2014: winding down in (or under) house E13.5
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/19/amara-west-2014-winding-down-in-or-under-house-e13-5/

Amara West 2014: changing spaces (again) in E13.17
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/20/amara-west-2014-changing-spaces-again-in-e13-17/

EL KURRU: A ROYAL CITY OF ANCIENT KUSH

Conservation in action!
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/03/conservation-in-action.html

How tall was this pyramid (answers)
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/03/how-tall-was-this-pyramid-answers.html

EES DELTA SURVEY

Visit to Buweib in the sun!
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/80073739496/visit-to-buweib-in-the-sun

Almost ready to start work.
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/80276074782/almost-ready-to-start-work

First day of work at Tell Buweib
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/80361752732/first-day-of-work-at-tell-buweib

In search of a foundation level for the Buweib temple
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/80593365384/in-search-of-a-foundation-level-for-the-buweib-temple

KRISTIAN STRUTT

Theban Waterscapes and Harbours Survey THaWS 2014 – Measure for Measure
http://kdstrutt.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/theban-waterscapes-and-harbours-survey-thaws-2014-measure-for-measure/

HARVARD SEMITIC MUSEUM

A Free Public Lecture by  
Dr. Josef Wegner

"The Discovery of Pharaoh Senebkay: Shedding Light on a Lost Egyptian Kingdom"

Monday, March 31at 6:00-7:00 
Fong Auditorium
Boylston Hall

Dr. Josef Wegner will discuss his recent excavation of the tomb of previously-unknown ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Woseribre Senebkay at South Abydos. This discovery by Wegner and his team from the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Philadelphia) in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of State for Antiquities provides the first material confirmation of a forgotten “Abydos Dynasty” (ca. 1650–1600 BCE).  
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dc1cecdd7390e6c41757db711&id=151e0c9bc6

Roman Emperor Dressed As Egyptian Pharaoh in Newfound Carving

By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor   |   March 25, 2014

An ancient stone carving on the walls of an Egyptian temple depicts the Roman emperor Claudius dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh, wearing an elaborate crown, a team of researchers has discovered.

In the carving, Emperor Claudius, who reigned from A.D. 41 to 54, is shown erecting a giant pole with a lunar crescent at the top. Eight men, each wearing two feathers, are shown climbing the supporting poles, with their legs dangling in midair.

Egyptian hieroglyphs in the carving call Claudius the "Son of Ra, Lord of the Crowns," and say he is "King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands." The hieroglyphs say he is raising the pole of the tent (or cult chapel) of Min (an ancient Egyptian god of fertility and power) and notes a date indicating a ritual like this took place around the summertime researchers say. It would have taken place even though Claudius never visited Egypt. A cult chapel is a place of worship and a tent could also be used for this purpose.

The elaborate crown on Claudius consists of three rushes (plants) set on ram horns with three falcons sitting on top. Three solar discs representing the sun (one for each plant) are shown in front of the rushes. Egyptian rulers are shown wearing crowns like this relatively late in ancient Egyptian history, mainly after 332 B.C., and they were worn only in Egypt. The Roman Empire took over Egypt in 30 B.C., and while the Roman emperors were not Egyptian, they were still depicted as pharaohs Egyptologists have noted.

Restoration of Khufu’s boat

The third phase of the restoration of Khufu’s second solar boat has recently begun, reports Samia Fakhry

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) invited a number of Egyptian and foreign journalists to a press conference last week in order to announce the beginning of the third phase of the restoration project on Khufu’s second solar boat and to raise awareness of the Japanese contribution to the preservation of Egypt’s archaeological heritage.

A tour of the labs of the planned Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) was also on the agenda, when those present were able to see the restoration work done on some of treasures found in the tomb of Tutankhamun that will be in the GEM collection.

In addition to the JICA’s work at the GEM and on Khufu’s solar boat, the Japanese government is also to establish a fourth phase of the Cairo underground, this time linking the capital to the Pyramids area and the GEM.

The story of Khufu’s solar boats started in 1954 when Egyptian archaeologist Kamal Al-Mallakh stumbled upon the two boat pits during routine cleaning on the southern side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu on the Giza Plateau. Working with conservator Ahmed Youssef, Al-Mallakh organised the removal and reconstruction of one of the boats.

The second remained buried in the sand until 1987 when the US National Geographic Society in association with the Egyptian authorities probed the pit through a hole bored into the limestone covering it, inserting a micro camera and measuring equipment. The temperature, humidity and preservation condition of the boat inside were all examined.

Museum Pieces - Hathor's Sistrum

(Photocredit: Medelhavsmuseet)

Inventory number
MME 1995:004
Object
Sculpture; Sistrum
Country - Origin
Egypt
Material
Faience; Pottery
Description
Part of a model of a sistrum, a rattle instrument that was connected with the goddess Hathor whose face adorns the handle.
Condition
Broken off at neck. Only upper part preserved.
Dimensions
H. 16.5 cm, W. 7.3 cm, D. 3.2 cm


Hathor's Sistrum

by Jimmy Dunn

Perhaps one of the main cult objects associated with Hathor was the sistrum, a musical rattle. Its name is derived from the Greek, seiein, meaning "to shake".

(Photocredit: Medelhavsmuseet)

The sound of the sistrum is metallic, produced by a number of metal disks or squares, strung onto a set of transverse bars, set horizontally into a frame of varying design. Its sound was thought to echo that of a stem of papyrus being shaken. However, the acoustic effects were frequently extremely limited. The sistrum was suitable for beating a rhythmical accompaniment in open-air processions. Apuleius, the Roman philosopher, described a procession in honor of Isis, in The Golden Ass, where the rhythmic pattern was three beats followed by a pause on the fourth. The sound of the instrument seems to have been regarded as protective and also symbolic of divine blessing and the concept of rebirth. In addition to the symbolic significance of its sound, the shape and decoration of the sistrum relate it to the divine.

Two forms of this ceremonial instrument may be distinguished, the oldest of which is probably the naos sistrum (ancient Egyptian ss, ssst). While Hathor's head was often depicted on the handles of sistrum, an early travertine sistrum inscribed with the name of the 6th Dynasty ruler, Teti, takes the form of a papyrus topped by a naos, which is itself surmounted by a falcon and cobra, thus forming a rebus of the name Hathor (i.e. hwt Hor). Thus, the sistrum known as the naos sistrum dates back to at least the Old Kingdom. It was usually surmounted by twin heads of Hathor upon which a small shrine or naos-shaped box was set. A vulture may crown the naos, and the handle may be covered with the incised plumage of the bird. Rods were passed through the sides of this naos to form the rattle. Carved or affixed spirals framing the sides of the naos represented the horns of the cow-eared goddess. Note that this earliest form of sistrum was often made of faience.

The digital unwrapping of the Egyptian priest Neswaiu

By Neil Bowdler

In the 19th century and even later, there was no shortage of people eager to watch the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy.

In 1908 in Manchester, some 500 people gathered in a lecture theatre to see prominent Egyptologist Margaret Murray supervise the unwrapping of a body from the Tomb of the Two Brothers from Manchester Museum's mummy collection.

As Egyptology and archaeology evolved, the destructive practise came to an end, but it didn't mean researchers and the public were any less curious about what lies within a mummy.

Now 21st Century technology is being used to virtually unwrap mummies without causing any damage to the body and wrappings.

Museums around the world, including the very same Manchester Museum, have been sending their mummies to hospitals to undergo computed tomography (CT) scanning, creating density maps of their insides for researchers to analyse.

And now comes a chance for the public to digitally unwrap a mummified body themselves.

The Nile: Downriver through Egypt's Past and Present by Toby Wilkinson

By Farah Nayeri 21 March 2014

It is the longest river in the world -- stretching 6,650 kilometers through the continent of Africa -- and without it, one of the world's greatest civilizations would never have existed. As Toby Wilkinson writes in his new book, "Egypt is the Nile, the Nile Egypt."

Wilkinson, an Egyptologist from Cambridge University, has produced a fluidly written book that blends contemporary description with digestible doses of history and anecdote from the time of the Pharaohs to the present day. The book is made timely by a reference to recent events: the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, and the election and subsequent removal of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi, described as Egypt's first democratically elected leader in 5,000 years. Though Egypt has "a past longer than most countries," writes Wilkinson, "its future has never looked less certain." As ever, the Nile "will be a vital reassurance."

The Nile has certainly been nurturing Egyptians since the beginning of time, and attracting innumerable non-Egyptians, too. Though the river covers less than one-twentieth of the country's surface area, it sustains more than 96 percent of the population. Once Egypt becomes a fashionable travel destination in the 19th century, adventurous Europeans  -- including Florence Nightingale  -- make the trip downriver on dual-masted house-boats known as dahabiya, which are charming, if occasionally vermin-infested. The river is thought to have such miraculous powers that credulous Europeans hoping for twins or sextuplets pay dearly for a jar of its water.

Wednesday Weekly # 25

Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!


EGYPT AT THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM

Prince Khaemwaset’s signature deposits: being part of History
http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/prince-khaemwasets-signature-deposits-being-part-of-history/

Lecture in Perth, 28/3/14: ‘Dying to Live Again: Mummies in Ancient Egypt & Today’

Friday 28 March 2014
Time: 18:00
Venue: Perth Museum and Art Gallery

A talk by Dr Campbell Price , Curator of Egypt and the Sudan at Manchester Museum, in conjuction with the newly-opened “Secret Egypt” exhibition in Perth.
http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/lecture-in-perth-28314-dying-to-live-again-mummies-in-ancient-egypt-today/

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

A new challenge in the lab
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/03/14/a-new-challenge-in-the-lab/

ARCHAEO TUBE

Tutankhamun's Fireball
http://archaeotube.blogspot.gr/2013/12/tutankhamuns-fireball.html#.Uycswah5OSp

THE ART NEWSPAPER

By Garry Shaw:

Sudanese site restored with Italy’s help
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Sudanese-site-restored-with-Italys-help/32067

REUTERS

By Kate Kelland:

Archaeologists discover earliest example of human with cancer
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/17/us-cancer-ancient-idUSBREA2G1BL20140317

HAIR AND DEATH IN ANCIENT EGYPT

by María Rosa Valdesogo:

The wrong location of Isis and Nephtys in the coffin of Khnum Nakht.
http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2014/03/18/the-wrong-location-of-isis-and-nephtys-in-the-coffin-of-khnum-nakht/

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Ancient Egyptian Kitten Skeletons Hint at Earlier Cat Domestication
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-egyptian-kitten-skeletons-hint-at-earlier-cat-domestication/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciam%2Farchaeology-and-paleontology+%28Topic%3A+Archaeology+%26+Paleontology%29

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Open Accesss Monograph Series: Giza Mastabas Series Online
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2012/03/giza-mastabas-series-online.html

Early Explorers in Egypt & Nubia
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2012/08/early-explorers-in-egypt-nubia.html

The Oriental Institute Coffin Texts Publication Project
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/03/the-oriental-institute-coffin-texts.html

THE BRITISH MUSEUM BLOG

By Michaela Binder, Durham University and Neal Spencer, British Museum:

New evidence of human cancer found at ancient Amara West
http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/17/new-evidence-of-human-cancer-found-at-ancient-amara-west/

AHRAM ONLINE

By Nevine El-Aref:

In pictures: Stolen Egyptian artefacts recovered from the US
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/96810/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/In-pictures-Stolen-Egyptian-artefacts-recovered-fr.aspx

TETISHERI

New blogpost by Julia Thorne:

New Egyptology book releases: February 2014
http://www.tetisheri.co.uk/3/post/2014/03/new-egyptology-book-releases-february-2014.html

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Starting a new season at Silsila
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2014/03/starting-new-season-at-silsila.html

ANCIENT EGYPT AND A MAPLE LEAF

Blog by Thomas H. Greiner:

Rescue Me: Ensuring a Smooth Passage to the Afterlife
http://thomasgreiner.com/2014/03/13/rescue-me-ensuring-a-smooth-passage-to-the-afterlife/

DEMONTHINGS - ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

Call for Papers: Company of Images

Company of Images: Modelling the ancient Egyptian imaginary world of the Middle Bronze Age

International Conference: 18-20 September 2014: Institute of Archaeology, University College, London

The purpose of this conference is to explore the fertile imaginary world of Middle Bronze Age Egypt (2000-1500BC) through its material culture and the archaeological sources from which such material is recovered.
One principal focus will be on figurines in their immediate and wider archaeological context. We also aim to explore other objects which have traditionally been interpreted as tools for the protection of mother and child, all as products of an interwoven world.The conference is an opportunity to explore how the ancient Egyptians populated their imaginary universe, combining different images, materials and objects – a “Company of Images”.
http://www.demonthings.com/cfp-company-images/

ACROSSBORDERS

New posts by Julia Budka:

Painter’s pots from SAV1 West
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/painters-pots-from-sav1-west/

Clay figurines from the Pharaonic town
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/clay-figurines-from-the-pharaonic-town/

ASOR BLOG

Egyptian Ministry Signs First Ever Public-Private Partnership Agreement with International Coalition to Protect Egyptian Antiquities
http://asorblog.org/?p=7030

AMARA WEST PROJECT BLOG

Amara West 2014: sustainable plant use (ancient and modern)
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/13/amara-west-2014-sustainable-plant-use-ancient-and-modern/

Amara West 2014: house D12.6
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/15/amara-west-2014-house-d12-6/

Amara West 2014: beyond the muddy brown
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/16/amara-west-2014-beyond-the-muddy-brown/

EL KURRU: A ROYAL CITY OF ANCIENT KUSH

By Geoff Emberling:

Kings and Queens of Kush
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/03/heres-one-more-note-for-6-th-in-ms.html

National Geographic film crew is here!
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/03/national-geographic-film-crew-is-here.html

More work of the Sudanese team at El Kurru
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/03/more-work-of-sudanese-team-at-el-kurru.html

How tall was this pyramid?
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/03/how-tall-was-this-pyramid.html

LIVESCIENCE

By Owen Jarus:

Cleopatra: Facts & Biography
http://www.livescience.com/44071-cleopatra-biography.html

EGYPT EXPLORATION SOCIETY

London Seminar: Egypt in England: Expressions of Ancient Egypt in England over the centuries

Start Time: Saturday, 22nd March 2014, 11:00 am
End Time: Saturday, 22nd March 2014, 5:00 pm
Location: The Egypt Exploration Society
Street: 3 Doughty Mews
City/Town: London WC1N 2PG

We usually focus on the ancient Egyptians themselves, but how has our knowledge of Ancient Egypt influenced us? In this seminar, five speakers will look at Egyptian elements in English and European culture, to see what they can tell us about our views of Ancient Egypt, and what these views reveal about our own society. 
http://ees.ac.uk/events/index/247.html

Cleopatra: Facts & Biography

By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor   |   March 13, 2014

Cleopatra VII, often simply called “Cleopatra,” was the last of a series of rulers called the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. She was also the last true pharaoh of Egypt. Cleopatra ruled an empire that included Egypt, Cyprus, part of modern-day Libya and other territories in the Middle East.

Modern-day depictions of her tend to depict a woman of great physical beauty and seductive skills — indeed, her romantic involvements with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony have been immortalized in art, music and literature for centuries. However, a number of ancient records, as well as recent historical research, tell a different story. Rather than some sort of sex kitten, they tell of an intelligent, multilingual, female ruler who affirmed her right to rule Egypt and other territories.

Her “own beauty, as they say, was not, in and of itself, completely incomparable, nor was it the sort that would astound those who saw her; but interaction with her was captivating, and her appearance, along with her persuasiveness in discussion and her character that accompanied every interchange, was stimulating,” wrote Plutarch, a philosopher who lived A.D. 46-120 (Translation by Prudence Jones).

“Cleopatra was no mere sexual predator, and certainly no plaything of Caesar,” writes Erich Gruen, a professor emeritus of history at University of California Berkeley, in an article in the book “Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited” (University of California Press, 2011).

“She was queen of Egypt, Cyrene and Cyprus, heir to the long and proud dynasty of the Ptolemies … a passionate but also very astute woman who had maneuvered Rome – and would maneuver Rome again – into advancing the interests of the Ptolematic legacy.”

Archaeologists discover earliest example of human with cancer

BY KATE KELLAND

(Reuters) - British archaeologists have found what they say is the world's oldest complete example of a human being with metastatic cancer and hope it will offer new clues about the now common and often fatal disease.

Researchers from Durham University and the British Museum discovered the evidence of tumors that had developed and spread throughout the body in a 3,000-year-old skeleton found in a tomb in modern Sudan in 2013.

Analyzing the skeleton using radiography and a scanning electron microscope, they managed to get clear imaging of lesions on the bones which showed the cancer had spread to cause tumors on the collar bones, shoulder blades, upper arms, vertebrae, ribs, pelvis and thigh bones.

"Insights gained from archaeological human remains like these can really help us to understand the evolution and history of modern diseases," said Michaela Binder, a Durham PhD student who led the research and excavated and examined the skeleton.

"Our analysis showed that the shape of the small lesions on the bones can only have been caused by a soft tissue cancer ... though the exact origin is impossible to determine through the bones alone."

Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt - A Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2014.03.12

Dee L. Clayman, Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt. Women in antiquity.   Oxford; New York:  Oxford University Press, 2014.  Pp. xii, 270.  ISBN 9780195370898

Reviewed by Elizabeth D. Carney, Clemson University

During the peak of Alexandrian literary culture, Ptolemaic poets and intellectuals celebrated the life and virtues of Berenice II, daughter of Magas, king of Cyrene and wife of the third Ptolemy, Euergetes. Nonetheless, dynastic violence, not the glamour and renown generated by supportive poets, characterized the beginning and end of her life. Magas had arranged for her to marry the future Ptolemy III, but after Magas’ death, Berenice’s mother instead compelled her to marry Demetrius the Fair. Young Berenice killed the bridegroom her mother had chosen (she supposedly had found him in bed with her mother) and then took herself off to Alexandria to marry her father’s preferred groom, by now Ptolemy III. Berenice had six children by Ptolemy III, but soon after her husband’s death, Berenice’s son Ptolemy IV arranged his mother’s murder.

Dee Clayman has created the first lengthy study of Berenice’s career and place in literature. Clayman’s background and scholarship has been, primarily, in Hellenistic poetry so, not surprisingly, this study’s strength lies in analysis of the many texts that mention or allude to Berenice, though Clayman also deals with Berenice’s actions and policies, to the degree that the poor and largely absent narrative sources permit.

The introduction provides a brief sketch of Berenice’s life, her role in contemporary poetry (particularly Callimachus’ “Lock of Berenice”), overviews of relevant historical and literary sources, a discussion of Ptolemaic image-making (Clayman does not want to characterize it as “propaganda”), the methodology of her approach, and a note on conventions about dating, spelling, and naming employed in her monograph.

Wednesday Weekly # 24

Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!


AHRAM ONLINE

By Nevine El-Aref:

Tomb from 18th dynasty discovered in Luxor
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/95953/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Tomb-from-th-dynasty-discovered-in-Luxor.aspx

Statue of Amenhotep III's daughter unearthed in Luxor
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/96352/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Statue-of-Amenhotep-IIIs-daughter-unearthed-in-Lux.aspx

DAILY NEWS EGYPT

Tomb of pharaoh’s stable master discovered in Egypt
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/03/06/tomb-pharaohs-stable-master-discovered-egypt/

SAFE Beacon honours Egyptian archaeologist Monica Hanna
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/03/09/safe-beacon-honours-egyptian-archaeologist-monica-hanna/

PACIFIC STANDARD

By Tom Jacobs:

Relationship Between Man and Cat May Be Older Than We Think
http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/relationship-man-cat-may-older-think-75933/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+miller-mccune%2Fmain_feed+%28Pacific+Standard+-+Main+Feed%29

MEDIUM

By Jo Marchant:

Tutankhamun’s Blood
https://medium.com/matter/9fb62a68597b

LIVESCIENCE

By Owen Jarus:

Ancient Egyptian Soldier's Letter Home Deciphered
http://www.livescience.com/43900-ancient-egyptian-soldier-letter-deciphered.html

HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

Maidens, Matrons, and Magicians: Women and Personal Ritual Power in Late Antique Egypt
http://historyoftheancientworld.com/2014/03/maidens-matrons-and-magicians-women-and-personal-ritual-power-in-late-antique-egypt/

THE ART NEWSPAPER

By Garry Shaw:

Egyptian princess sculpture unearthed in Luxor
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Egyptian-princess-sculpture-unearthed-in-Luxor/32046

HAIR AND DEATH IN ANCIENT EGYPT

by María Rosa Valdesogo:

Three Dimensions of the Ancient Egypt Mourning Rite in a Rishi Coffin.
http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2014/03/10/three-dimensions-of-the-ancient-egypt-mourning-rite-in-a-rishi-coffin/

LUXOR TIMES

Amenhotep III's daughter statue discovered in Kom El Hitan
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/03/amenhotep-iiis-daughter-statue.html

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

New blogentries:

Open Access Topographical Bibliography (Porter & Moss) (Scans of Vols I-VII)

The Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Statues, Reliefs and Paintings (Porter & Moss)
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/03/open-access-topographical-bibliography.html

New Open Access Monograph Series: Kleine Berliner Schriften zum Alten Ägypten
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/03/new-open-access-monograph-series-kleine.html

Orly Goldwasser Home Page

Orly Goldwasser is chair of Egyptology at the Hebrew University and Honorary Professor at the University of Göttingen. Her research interests range from the origins of the alphabet to the relationship between ancient Egyptian "determinatives" and modern theories regarding world classification.
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/03/orly-goldwasser-home-page.html

UCL MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS BLOG

Pottery Project Guest Blog: Pondering Petrie’s Broken Pots
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2014/03/07/pottery-project-guest-blog-pondering-petries-broken-pots/

A Piece of a Giant Jigsaw: a newly re-discovered pot from Naqada
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2014/03/11/a-piece-of-a-giant-jigsaw-a-newly-re-discovered-pot-from-naqada/

EGYPTOLOGICAL

By Andrea Byrnes:

The paintings from the lost tomb-chapel of Nebamun
http://egyptological.com/2014/03/09/the-paintings-from-the-lost-tomb-chapel-of-nebamun-12070

ACROSSBORDERS

New posts by Julia Budka:

A fragmented stela from SAV1 West
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/a-fragmented-stela-from-sav1-west/

Seti I at Sai Island?
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/seti-i-at-sai-island/

AMARA WEST PROJECT BLOG

Amara West 2014: perceptions of the unseen
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/04/amara-west-2014-perceptions-of-the-unseen/

Amara West 2014: cemetery C – infants in a large (family?) tomb
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/06/amara-west-2014-cemetery-c-infants-in-a-large-family-tomb/

Amara West 2014: royal names in the house?
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/08/amara-west-2014-royal-names-in-the-house/

Amara West 2014: defining and protecting the ancient site
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/10/amara-west-2014-defining-and-protecting-the-ancient-site/

Amara West 2014: the grind
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/03/11/amara-west-2014-the-grind/

TT184

Visitors and Guests
http://tt184en.blogspot.nl/2014/03/visitors-and-guests.html

RESEARCHERS IN MUSEUMS

By Niall Sreenan:

Taxonomies of Bones and Pots – The Petrie Pops up at the Grant Museum
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/researchers-in-museums/2014/03/10/taxonomies-of-bones-and-pots-the-petrie-pops-up-at-the-grant-museum/

THE GLEN DASH FOUNDATION BLOG

Did the Egyptians Use the Sun to Align the Pyramids?
http://glendash.com/blog/2014/03/08/did-the-egyptians-use-the-sun-to-align-the-pyramids/

NICKY'S BLOG

Women explorers of Egypt
http://blog.eurasianstates.org/2014/03/09/women-explorers-of-egypt/

GARRY SHAW

The Daily Life of the Pharaoh
http://garryshawegypt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-daily-life-of-pharaoh.html

The Egyptian Myths is Out!
http://garryshawegypt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-egyptian-myths-is-out.html