Artifact Trove at Egyptian Tomb Illuminates Life Before Pharaohs

Archaeologist uncovers human sacrifices and evidence of strife.

By Andrew Curry
National Geographic

A recently discovered tomb at a key Egyptian settlement has yielded the largest trove of artifacts ever found in a tomb there—including a young man's burned and scattered bones—and is shedding new light on the ancestors of the pharaohs.

Part of a cemetery complex that predates the formation of the ancient Egyptian state, the find is one of the richest "predynastic" burials archaeologists have ever seen.

The tomb, at the site known as Hierakonpolis, yielded 54 objects, including combs, spearheads, arrowheads, and a figurine made of hippopotamus ivory. Arrayed around the tomb are dozens more burials, including possible human sacrifices and exotic animals.

The latest find, announced earlier this month, is adding to the remarkable story coming out of the Hierakonpolis cemetery, which has been under investigation since 1979.

"It demonstrates the importance of this cemetery, with its high-status burials," says Boston University archaeologist Kathryn Bard. "They have some very interesting secondary burials of humans and animals and wooden structures that are unique to Hierakonpolis."

Hierakonpolis, located on the Nile River about 300 miles (500 kilometers) south of Cairo, was the most important settlement in Egypt's predynastic period, a five-century stretch that began around 3,500 B.C. and preceded the formation of the ancient Egyptian state.

The finds at Hierakonpolis show that the roots of ancient Egyptian civilization stretched back centuries. There are clear signs of social divisions, with elite tombs that are richer and larger than others. "There must have been a whole dynasty of predynastic kings," says Renee Friedman, a British Museum archaeologist who is director of the expedition.

The Hierakonpolis elite erected elaborate wooden structures over their tombs, parts of which have been preserved for more than 6,000 years by the dry climate. Their graves were surrounded by retainers, wild animals, and other accoutrements for their journey into the afterlife, foreshadowings of the mighty civilization that followed.

Wednesday Weekly # 35

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


DISCOVERY NEWS

By Rossella Lorenzi:

Long-Lost Mummy of Pharaoh's Foster Brother Found
http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/long-lost-mummy-of-pharaohs-foster-brother-found-140523.htm

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

By Nevine El-Aref:

Restored tombs reopen
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/6262/47/Restored-tombs-reopen.aspx

Artefacts recovered from USA
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/6261/47/Artefacts-recovered-from-USA.aspx

THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE

Gregory Marouard | New Discoveries at Wadi el-Jarf: The Harbor of King Khufu

Join Gregory Marouard, Research Associate in Egyptian Archaeology at the Oriental Institute of the Univeristy of Chicago for New discoveries at Wadi el-Jarf: The Harbor of King Khufu on the Egyptian Red Sea Coast.

This lecture focuses on the latest results and discoveries at this site and demonstrate the complex and extensive logistical organization of the Egyptian seafaring expeditions since the middle of the third millennium BC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-NjvVT95l0#p395550

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Collection Online
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/05/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art.html

Causing His Name to Live: Studies in Egyptian Epigraphy and History in Memory of William J. Murnane
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2010/10/fs-murnane.html

Egyptological Publications of the Glyptothèque Ny Carlsberg København
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2011/09/egyptological-publications-of.html

Online Journals - Egyptology
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2009/01/online-journals-egyptology.html

3D Petrie Museum
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/05/3d-petrie-museum.html

EGYPTIAN'S

New blogpost by Timothy Reid:

Secrets of Egypt For The Millions
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/05/secrets-of-egypt-for-millions.html

LUXOR TIMES

An attempt to smuggle antiquities inside a copy of Tut Ankh Amon's mask
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/an-attempt-to-smuggle-antiquities.html

Tracked Ancient Egyptian antiquities after illicit digs and smuggled abroad
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/tracked-ancient-egyptian-antiquities.html

EGYPT AT THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM

New light under old wrappings (II): The temple singer Perenbast
http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/new-light-under-old-wrappings-ii-the-temple-singer-perenbast/

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

Consolidating and reconstructing glass objects
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/05/21/consolidating-and-reconstructing-glass-objects/

HAIR AND DEATH IN ANCIENT EGYPT

by María Rosa Valdesogo:

The Ancient Egypt burial and rebirth “narrated” in a fragment of a coffin.
http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2014/05/21/the-ancient-egypt-burial-and-rebirth-narrated-in-a-fragment-of-a-coffin/

BRITISH MUSEUM BLOG

By John H Taylor and Daniel Antoine, curators, British Museum:

Eight mummies, eight lives, eight stories
http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2014/05/22/eight-mummies/

AHRAM ONLINE

Five stolen Egyptian artefacts located in Europe
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/102112/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Five-stolen-Egyptian-artefacts-located-in-Europe.aspx

THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST

Episode 29: The War God

Montuhotep II (Part III)
http://egyptianhistory.libsyn.com/episode-29-the-war-god

DEMONTHINGS - ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

CALL for CHAPTERS: The Material Culture of Magic

This sounds like a fascinating project, perfectly timed to reflect the growing interest in the material manifestations of magic and religion. The result will be a book on The Material Culture of Magic, edited by Dr Antje Bosselmann-Ruickbie and Dr Leo Ruickbie.
http://www.demonthings.com/material-culture-of-magic/

ACROSSBORDERS

Impressions from the SARS colloquium 2014
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/impressions-from-the-sars-colloquium-2014/

Ippolito Rosellini, Sudan and Pisa
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/ippolito-rosellini-sudan-and-pisa/

THE DOUBLE LOTUS

New post by Nicky van de Beek:

Jan Herman Insinger: A Dutchman in Egypt
http://blog.eurasianstates.org/2014/05/24/insinger/

KELSEY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

My Favorite Artifact
https://kelseymuseum.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/my-favorite-artifact/

SOUTH ASASIF CONSERVATION PROJECT BLOG

Week 3
http://southasasif.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/week-3/

THE GUARDIAN

Battered pot found in Cornish garage unlocks Egypt excavation secrets
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/may/26/pot-found-cornwall-garage-reveals-egypt-excavation-history

Long-Lost Mummy of Pharaoh's Foster Brother Found

By Rossella Lorenzi

The mummy of the pharaoh Amenhotep II's foster brother may have been found in a former monastery, according to archival research into 19th-century documents.

The mummy, now reduced to a skeleton, is believed to be that of Qenamun, the chief steward of Amenhotep II (about 1427–1400 B.C.) who was the 7th Pharaoh of Egypt's 18th Dynasty and likely Tutankhamun's great-great-grandfather.

Qenamun was effectively Amenhotep II's foster brother, as his mother, Amenemipet, was the chief royal nurse of the future king. The two grew up together and the bond endured in adult life, with Qenamun enjoying a high and powerful status.

But the whereabouts of Qenamun's afterlife journey had remained a mystery -- no coffin nor mummy was found in his large and beautifully decorated tomb in Thebes.

"Identifying Qenamun has been like fitting together long-lost puzzle pieces," Marilina Betrò, professor of Egyptology at Pisa University, told Discovery News.

It all began two years ago when a skeleton resting in a cardboard box was found in a store room of a 14th-century monastery. Located in Calci, a village near Pisa, the monastery now houses one of the world's oldest natural history museums.

"Intriguingly, the skull bore an inscription in black ink stating it was one of the mummies brought from Egypt by Ippolito Rosellini, Europe's first Egyptology professor," Marilina Betrò told Discovery News. She holds the same chair at Pisa University that Rosellini did.

Restored tombs reopen

The tombs of the wife of Ramses III and one of his top officials have been officially inaugurated after their restoration, writes Nevine El-Aref

In a bid to promote tourism to Egypt, which has declined since the 25 January Revolution, Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim this week inaugurated two tombs in the Valley of the Queens and Deir Al-Medina on Luxor’s west bank.

The first tomb belongs to queen Tyti, wife of the Pharaoh Ramses III, and the second is that of Inerkhaou, a senior official during the New Kingdom reigns of Ramses III and IV.

The tomb of queen Tyti is located in the Valley of the Queens and is smaller than its counterparts from the later 20th Dynasty.

When found, it was in a poor state of conservation, having been reused in antiquity.

The tomb consists of a corridor that ends with a burial chamber surrounded by side chambers. It is decorated with colourful paintings that follow the same decorative programme used in the tombs of the queen’s son Amenherkhepshef and Ramses II’s son Khaemwaset of painted scenes on white, grey or yellow backgrounds.

The walls of the corridor, burial chamber and side chambers are decorated with scenes depicting the queen worshipping deities protecting her or the canopic chests in the tomb. The most distinguished paintings are those on the front wall of one of the rear chambers featuring Tyti as a young girl with the braided hair of a teenager. On the left wall she is depicted as a middle-aged woman wearing more conservative dress and make-up.

“These kinds of representations are not common in ancient Egyptian art, and the contrast between the young girl and the older woman is striking,” Ibrahim said.

The ceiling of the burial chamber is painted with delicate white stars on a golden background, with the god Anubis depicted on the chamber’s front wall to protect the tomb. On the left side a lion-headed image of the god Nebnery stands in front of the queen, where there is also an image of the squatting youth Herimaat.

Tut's Tomb: A Replica Fit for a King

How high-tech copies of ancient archaeological sites can help preserve them.

by Marguerite Del Giudice
for National Geographic

The thing to understand about archaeology is that it's a science of destruction. The moment an ancient site is discovered, its physical condition immediately begins to deteriorate. Every dig removes a layer of the archaeological record that can never be replaced, and once humans are allowed to visit, with their hot breath and sweat and backpacks, walls start crumbling, pigments start flaking, and before you know it the site has to close down to "rest," or close for good—a victim of its own celebrity.

Now, a practice is gaining traction that may save us from inadvertently wrecking the very cultural treasures we most want to see: the creation of high-tech copies of ancient archaeological sites. We're not talking sized-down Las Vegas knockoffs of the Pyramids but forensically analyzed, 3-D copies so minutely detailed that the naked eye can't distinguish them from the originals.

Recently in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, the most ambitious large-scale creation of this kind was unveiled: an exact replica of the 3,245-year-old tomb of King Tutankhamun, apparently so authentic that one Egyptologist in attendance (Salima Ikram from The American University in Cairo) actually wept when she saw the burial chamber.

"She had a very emotional reaction, even knowing she was in a copy—that was a great moment for me," said Adam Lowe, the British artist whose Madrid-based company, Factum Arte, made the replica as a philanthropic project; he donated his team's time and raised money to cover other costs. The $690,000 project took five years, beginning in 2009, when the team used state-of-the-art laser scanning and digitizing equipment to minutely "record" every aspect of the tomb.

Wednesday Weekly # 34

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


AHRAM ONLINE

By Nevine El-Aref:

Funeral relics of pharaonic singer unearthed at Saqqara necropolis
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/101518/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Funeral-relics-of-pharaonic-singer-unearthed-at-Sa.aspx

King Ptolemy II temple uncovered in Beni Suef
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/101704/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/King-Ptolemy-II-temple-uncovered-in-Beni-Suef.aspx

Prominent Egyptologist Zahi Hawass cleared of corruption charges
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/101821/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Prominent-Egyptologist-Zahi-Hawass-cleared-of-corr.aspx

CORNELL CHRONICLE

By Linda B. Glaser:

Climate change caused empire's fall, tree rings reveal
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/05/climate-change-caused-empires-fall-tree-rings-reveal

BBC NEWS

Scanning for the secrets of mummies
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27470397

THE INDEPENDENT

Egyptian mummies: Science or sacrilege?
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/egyptian-mummies-science-or-sacrilege-9399191.html

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Discovering the artists of the Eastern Sahara
http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/discovering-the-artists-of-the-eastern-sahara

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

CFEETK – Centre Franco-Égyptien d'Étude des Temples de Karnak - Rapports
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/05/cfeetk-centre-franco-egyptien-detude.html

CFEETK News: Début de la mise en ligne des inscriptions des parois de la salle hypostyle, de la chapelle rouge, de la chapelle de calcite de Thoutmosis IV et du temple Opet
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/05/cfeetk-news-debut-de-la-mise-en-ligne.html

LUXOR TIMES

Third Intermediate Period Chantress coffin discovered in Sakkara
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/third-intermediate-period-chantress.html

Egyptian archaeologists unearth Ptolemy II temple for Isis
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/egyptian-archaeologists-unearth-ptolemy.html

FACES & VOICES

Mummy Cartonnage: An Introduction
http://facesandvoices.wordpress.com/2014/05/17/mummy-cartonnage-an-introduction/

HAIR AND DEATH IN ANCIENT EGYPT

by María Rosa Valdesogo:

Egyptian Words for “Lock of Hair” related to the Mourning Rite.
http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2014/05/14/egyptian-words-for-lock-of-hair-related-to-the-mourning-rite/

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

An early image of Jesus?
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/6196/47/An-early-image-of-Jesus-.aspx

PAST HORIZONS

TOMB RAIDER: ENTER THE BRITISH MUSEUM’S UNDERGROUND MUMMY STORE
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/05/2014/tomb-raider-enter-the-british-museums-underground-mummy-store

ACROSSBORDERS

Every year: London calling
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/every-year-london-calling/

MUSEUM EGYPTOLOGY

ENCOUNTERING CORPSES, PART 2.
http://museumegyptology.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/encountering-corpses-part-2/

DIANA BUJA'S BLOG

Net Dresses in Ancient Egypt and Elsewhere – Then and Now
http://dianabuja.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/net-dresses-in-ancient-egypt-and-elsewhere-then-and-now/

THE BEAUTIFUL COPTIC MURALS IN THE MONASTERY OF SURIAN IN EGYPT REVEALED
http://dianabuja.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/the-beautiful-coptic-murals-in-the-monastery-of-surian-in-egypt-revealed/

SOUTH ASASIF CONSERVATION PROJECT BLOG

Week 2
http://southasasif.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/week-2-2/

SSEA

Call for Papers, Posters and Notice of Symposium 2014

2014 SSEA/SÉÉA SCHOLARS' COLLOQUIUM CALL FOR PAPERS
CALL FOR PAPERS

The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities/Société pour l’Étude de l’Égypte Ancienne invites all doctoral level graduate students and senior scholars to submit proposals for papers to be given at this year’s Scholars’ Colloquium. The deadline for submission is AUGUST 31st , 2014.
http://www.thessea.org/news.php

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Tut's Tomb: A Replica Fit for a King
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140520-tutankhamun-egypt-archaeology-cyber-printing-3d/

Discovering the artists of the Eastern Sahara

The identification of rock art found in Farafra as Neolithic adds substance to the argument that Egypt drew on cultural influences from Africa as well as the Near East.  At a talk tonight (19 May, 2014) archaeologist Dr Giulio Lucarini will talk about his fieldwork in the Egyptian Western Desert and show images of newly-identified Neolithic drawings to a public audience for the first time.

Recently discovered rock art on the walls of a cave in the Egyptian Western Desert has been provisionally dated by a Cambridge University archaeologist as between 6,000 and 7,000 years old, created at least 1,000 years before the building of the pyramids. The drawings add weight to the argument that Egyptian culture drew on cultural influences from Africa and not only from the Near East.

Spotted by a tourist to Wadi el Obeiyid, north of Farafra Oasis, drawings of a giraffe, a bovid (cow-like mammal) and two boats, plus the outline of a human hand, were examined last month by Dr Giulio Lucarini who co-leads a team of archaeologists looking at the pathways, and timings, by which domestic animals and plants from the Levant arrived in Egypt. The engravings are thought to have been discovered in 2010. The onset of revolution in Egypt meant that they were not investigated for some time.

Based at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at Cambridge University, Lucarini is an expert in the transition from foraging to farming in North Africa. With Professor Barbara Barich of ISMEO in Rome, he is co-director of a project (the Archaeological Mission in the Farafra Oasis) that has been studying the archaeology of this region of the Eastern Sahara since the late 1980s.

Museum Pieces - Limestone statue of Amenemhat III

Title/s: 
Shelly limestone statue of Amenemhat III
Dimensions:
length 12 cm
width 14.3 cm
Period:
Twelfth Dynasty
Middle Kingdom
Date:
circa 1831 B.C. — 1786 B.C.
Material/s:
shelly limestone
Accession Number:
E.2.1946 (Antiquities) 

Description: 
Head of king Amenemhat III, wearing nemes headdress. Only the shoulders and head are preserved; the base is modern. The statue was found in a private tomb. The facial features are a softer version of the so-called 'realistic portraits' of Senwosret III. In this way the ruler was able to promote a visual link to his predecessor.

This small but forceful head is a fragment from a statue of one of the most important monarchs of Egypt’s 12th dynasty. It is remarkable for its individuality, its suggestion of humanity as well as absolute, divine power.

Amenemhat III here wears the royal nemes headcloth, made of striped linen and bound tightly round his head. On his brow is the uraeus – the cobra symbol. This was used to represent many goddesses, perhaps most frequently Wadjet, protectress of Lower Egypt. Here it probably also represents the eye of the sun god Re, protector of the king.

In ancient Egypt the king was not only the representative of the gods on earth, he was the living embodiment of the deity Horus. Just as Horus had avenged his father Osiris by vanquishing his evil uncle Seth, and saved the lands of Egypt from disorder and chaos, so the king maintained the universal order – maat – and oversaw the continued good government of the country, ensuring harmony between the two lands of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Though small, the sculpture manages to convey the great power of the individual represented. The king's eyes look down as though from an elevated position, his mouth is determined and strong. The dark green limestone, dappled with lighter fossils, gives him a distant, otherworldly appearance.

But the sculptor here also brilliantly suggests the fleshly qualities of Amenemhat. His ears are large and protruding, lines run from his nose to the corners of his mouth, the lips are full and prominent, and there is a sense of the bone structure beneath the skin. This expressive individualism contrasts strongly with the idealised features.

But while the modern viewer might imagine that the statue is a faithful reproduction of the king's actual features, this is unlikely. Egyptian portraiture was concerned more with presenting the idea of a king, than any facts about his physical appearance. Facial lines, for instance, might suggest wisdom through age. Rolls of fat on statues of private individuals might indicate wealth. This portrait of the king is psychological rather than realistic.

The Fitzwilliam also owns the head from a colossal granite statue of Amenemhat III’s father and predecessor, Senwosret III, [E.37.1930]. Though considerably more damaged than the smaller sculpture of his son, we can discern in this a similar attempt to suggest the naturalistic structure of a human face as well as the power of a divine king. The heavy lidded eyes are deep set, there are faint bags beneath them, the mouth is turned down at the corners. His son’s image is, if not identical, then certainly comparable. The similarity of the two kings' official images might suggest a similarity in their approach to government. It suggests that Amenemhat is keen to link himself to his illustrious predecessor.

Many statues survive from the prosperous reigns of these two kings, who both built extensively. Many of these images would have been placed in temples, reminders of the important role the king played in Egyptian religion. But they were also instrumental in consolidating earthly power. Senwosret III’s 39 year reign saw a complete reorganisation of Egypt’s internal administration to secure his own absolute authority as monarch. The political power of important families in the provinces was reduced. Perhaps this new way of representing the king, which was followed by his son, underlined the new political order.

The head of Amenemhat III was found in rather unusual circumstances by Lord Grenfell, who was commander-in-chief of the British garrison in Egypt between 1882 and 1892. A keen Egyptophile, Grenfell unearthed this fragment of a royal statue in the unlikely context of a private tomb. It is thought that it might have been accidentally deposited there when the tomb was robbed, either in antiquity or in modern times.

Sources:

http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/ant/egypt/gallery/cataloguedetail.html?&priref=61606&_function_=xslt&_limit_=350

http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/pharos/collection_pages/ancient_pages/E.2-1946/FRM_TXT_SE-E.2-1946.html

Funeral relics of pharaonic singer unearthed at Saqqara necropolis

Three painted sarcophagi belonging to an Ancient Egyptian singer have been unearthed at Saqqara

by Nevine El-Aref , Saturday 17 May 2014

During excavation works carried out in Bastet cemetery at the Saqqara necropolis just outside Cairo, French archaeologists stumbled upon three wooden sarcophagi belonging to Ta-Ekht, a singer in a sacred choir in the 18th dynasty period (1543–1292 BC).

Mohamed Ibrahim, the antiquities minister, said that the sarcophagi were found inside each other. The outer sarcophagus is a little deteriorated while the middle and inner ones are well-preserved.

(Photocredit: Ahram Online)

Ibrahim told Ahram Online on Saturday that the sarcophagi were unearthed during excavation works at the tomb of the daughter of 18th dynasty pharaoh Akhenaten, Maya, who was known as Meritee Atun.

Ali El-Asfar, head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities department at the ministry told Ahram Online that the sarcophagi depict the facial features of Ta-Ekht and are decorated with paintings of foliage.

Some elements of Ta-Ekht's funerary collection were also found inside the middle sarcophagus, including two wooden headrests and a rectangular wooden box inlaid with ivory.

The box contained a collection of beauty tools were found, including a spoon with a gazelle-shaped handle, two eye liner containers, a collection of faience beads, and a faience amulet in the famous “eye of Horus” shape.

El-Asfar said that studies are now being conducted to find out why the singer’s sarcophagi were located inside Maya tomb.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/101518/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Funeral-relics-of-pharaonic-singer-unearthed-at-Sa.aspx

Wednesday Weekly # 33

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


AHRAM ONLINE

By Nevine El-Aref:

Ramesside tomb of Egypt's royal ambasador discovered at Saqqara
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/100797/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Ramesside-tomb-of-Egypts-royal-ambasador-discovere.aspx

Recovered antiquities go on display at Egyptian Museum
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/100905/Heritage/Museums/Recovered-antiquities-go-on-display-at-Egyptian-Mu.aspx

Antiquities theft foiled in Giza
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/101187/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Antiquities-theft-foiled-in-Giza.aspx

LIVESCIENCE

By Alexander Hellemans:

What Did Ancient Egyptians Really Eat?
http://www.livescience.com/45450-what-did-ancient-egyptians-really-eat.html

By Rossella Lorenzi:

Mummified Fetus Found in Tiny Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus
http://www.livescience.com/45564-mummified-fetus-found-in-tiny-ancient-egyptian-sarcophagus.html

THE TELEGRAPH

By Robert Mendick:

Uncovered, the pharaohs’ child star
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10822100/Uncovered-the-pharaohs-child-star.html?utm_content=buffer7405c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

THE BRITISH MUSEUM

Ancient Lives
http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/ancient_lives.aspx

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

The Nile Delta as a centre of cultural interactions with Upper Egypt and the Southern Levant in 4th millennium BC
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/05/the-nile-delta-as-centre-of-cultural.html

EGYPTIAN'S

New posts by Timothy Reid:

Challenge of the Great Pyramid
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/05/challenge-of-great-pyramid.html

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin: Spring 1979
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/05/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-bulletin.html

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

By Molly Gleeson:

Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (PMF)
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/05/09/peptide-mass-fingerprinting-pmf/

LUXOR TIMES

Exclusive photos: Egyptian antiquities to be returned to Egypt by a British court order
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/exclusive-photos-egyptian-antiquities.html

Ramesside Minister of Foreign Affairs tomb discovered in Sakkara
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/ramesside-minister-of-foreign-affairs.html

AERA WEB

New blogpost by Claire Malleson:

In search of seeds!
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/in-search-of-seeds/

THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST

Episode 28: The King in the North

Montuhotep II (Part II)
http://egyptianhistory.libsyn.com/episode-28-the-king-in-the-north

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANIMAL BIO BANK

New museums, ‘new’ mummies and new opportunities
http://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/new-museums-new-mummies-and-new-opportunities/

DEMONTHINGS - ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

By Zuzi Bennett:

What is an ancient Egyptian demon?
http://www.demonthings.com/what-is-an-ancient-egyptian-demon/

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA

Bioarcheological Field School at Amarna, Egypt

Location: Amarna, Egypt

Season Dates: May 11, 2015 - June 12, 2015

Application Deadline: August 1, 2014

Project Description

This field school provides the opportunity to spend full-time conducting comprehensive analysis of the excellently preserved skeletons excavated each year from the Commoners’ cemetery at Tell el-Amarna.
http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob/2098

THE GLEN DASH FOUNDATION BLOG

Explore the Mystery of the Pyramid Diagonal: An Experiment You Can Do at Home
http://glendash.com/blog/2014/05/10/explore-the-mystery-of-the-pyramid-diagonal-an-experiment-you-can-do-at-home/

KELSEY MUSEUM

By Brittany Dolph:

Analyzing an Egyptian Textile Fiber
https://kelseymuseum.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/analyzing-an-egyptian-textile-fiber/

SOUTH ASASIF CONSERVATION PROJECT BLOG

Week 1 – Opening
http://southasasif.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/week-1-opening/

NEWS OK

Interview: World-famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass brings his U.S. lecture tour Wednesday to Oklahoma City
http://newsok.com/interview-world-famous-egyptian-archaeologist-zahi-hawass-brings-his-u.s.-lecture-tour-wednesday-to-oklahoma-city/article/4748617?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

What Did Ancient Egyptians Really Eat?

by Alexander Hellemans, ISNS Contributor

(ISNS) -- Did the ancient Egyptians eat like us? If you're a vegetarian, tucking in along the Nile thousands of years ago would have felt just like home.

In fact, eating lots of meat is a recent phenomenon. In ancient cultures vegetarianism was much more common, except in nomadic populations. Most sedentary populations ate fruit and vegetables.

Although previous sources found the ancient Egyptians to be pretty much vegetarians, until this new research it wasn't possible to find out the relative amounts of the different foods they ate. Was their daily bread really daily? Did they binge on eggplants and garlic? Why didn't someone spear a fish?

A French research team figured out that by looking at the carbon atoms in mummies that had lived in Egypt between 3500 B.C. and 600 A.D. you could find out what they ate.

All carbon atoms are taken in by plants from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by the process of photosynthesis. By eating plants, and the animals that had eaten plants, the carbon ends up in our bodies.

The sixth-lightest element on the periodic table – carbon – exists in nature as two stable isotopes: carbon-12 and carbon-13. Isotopes of the same element behave the same in chemical reactions but have slightly different atomic masses, with the carbon-13 being slightly heavier than the carbon-12. Plants are categorized into two groups. The first group, C3, is most common in plants such as garlic, eggplants, pears, lentils and wheat. The second smaller group, C4, comprises foodstuffs like millet and sorghum.

Ramesside tomb of Egypt's royal ambasador discovered at Saqqara

New Kingdom tomb discovered at Old Kingdom site at Saqqara, a find that officials say will transform the location into an even greater tourist attraction

by Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 8 May 2014

Journalists, photographers and top officials flocked to a site south of Unas Pyramid causeway at Saqqara necropolis on Thursday to admire a newly discovered tomb that, according to experts, "will change the history of the necropolis."

Archaeologists from Cairo University stumbled upon what is believed to be the tomb of Paser – Egypt’s royal ambassador to foreign countries during the late Ramesside period as well as the army archives holder.

The tomb is temple-shaped and consists of a portico entrance, pillars hall and a peristyle court, which contains the main burial shaft in the centre and opens directly onto a sanctuary with three rooms.

"It's a vey important discovery that add more to Egypt’s history and political status with its neighbouring countries," Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim told Ahram Online.

He explained that ancient Egyptian tombs are only found in two shapes – mastaba or rock hewn – but that this particular one is temple-shaped and ends with a peramidion, which means that the tomb's designer used a new architect that combined the shapes of both temples and tombs.

Wednesday Weekly # 32

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


EPOCH TIMES

By Salima Ikram:

The Loss and Looting of Egyptian Antiquities
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/648156-the-loss-and-looting-of-egyptian-antiquities/

FOM - FOUNDATION FOR FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH ON MATTER

Ancient Egyptians transported pyramid stones over wet sand
http://www.fom.nl/live/english/news/archives/pressreleases2014/artikel.pag?objectnumber=262373

LUXOR TIMES

Pre-Dynastic tomb discovered in Hierakonpolis
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/05/pre-dynastic-tomb-discovered-in.html

HAIR AND DEATH IN ANCIENT EGYPT

by María Rosa Valdesogo:

An Egyptian Ostracon with Professional Mourners inside the Tomb.
http://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2014/05/06/an-egyptian-ostracon-with-professional-mourners/

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Open Access Series: Ägyptologische Forschungen
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2011/09/agyptologische-forschungen-online.html

Workmen's Huts in the Theban Mountains Project
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2011/11/workmens-huts-in-theban-mountains.html

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

By Molly Gleeson:

More about our Predynastic mummy
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/05/01/more-about-our-predynastic-mummy/

EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA

By Carolyn Graves-Brown:

A Mummified Baby?
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2014/05/a-mummified-baby.html

KANSASCITY.COM

As much as we love him, Tut only a comma in Egypt's long-running history
http://www.kansascity.com/2014/05/05/5004562/as-much-as-we-love-him-tut-is.html

LIVESCIENCE

By Megan Gannon:

Replica King Tut Tomb Unveiled in Egypt
http://www.livescience.com/45327-replica-king-tut-tomb-unveiled.html

By Denise Chow:

Solved! How Ancient Egyptians Moved Massive Pyramid Stones
http://www.livescience.com/45285-how-egyptians-moved-pyramid-stones.html

By Owen Jarus:

Mysterious Buried Artifacts Discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings
http://www.livescience.com/45271-artifacts-discovered-in-egypt-valley-of-the-kings.html

AHRAM ONLINE

Egypt opens replica of King Tut’s tomb
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/100253/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Egypt-opens-replica-of-King-Tut%E2%80%99s-tomb.aspx

Egypt's airports to exhibit ancient artefacts
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/100464/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Egypts-airports-to-exhibit-ancient-artefacts.aspx

Pre-dynastic tomb uncovered in Egypt's Edfu
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/100635/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Predynastic-tomb-uncovered-in-Egypts-Edfu.aspx

JOYCE FILER

Continuing Up and Down the Nile
http://joycefiler.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/continuing-up-and-down-the-nile/

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Season summary
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2014/05/season-summary.html

ANCIENT EGYPT AND A MAPLE LEAF

New posts by Thomas H. Greiner:

Panoramas from Egypt
http://thomasgreiner.com/2014/04/30/panoramas-from-egypt/

100 Years: How much has changed with Egypt’s Antiquities? And what can you do to help?
http://thomasgreiner.com/2014/05/05/100-years-how-much-has-changed-with-egypts-antiquities-and-what-can-you-do-to-help/

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANIMAL BIO BANK

The Marischal Collection, Aberdeen, brings the Bio Bank count to 750!
http://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/the-marischal-collection-aberdeen-brings-the-bio-bank-count-to-750/

It’s not too late!
http://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/its-not-too-late/

DEMONTHINGS - ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

Museums at Night: Demons and Spirits of the Dead at Swansea’s Egypt Centre

On 15th May, Swansea University’s Egypt Centre hosts:

Museums at Night:

Demons and Spirits of the Dead

(late night opening 4-8pm)
http://www.demonthings.com/museums-night-demons/

AMARA WEST PROJECT BLOG

By Neal Spencer, Keeper of Ancient Egypt and Sudan, British Museum:

Amara West 2014: inside, outside and beyond a town in Egyptian Kush
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2014/05/05/amara-west-2014-inside-outside-and-beyond-a-town-in-egyptian-kush/

FACES & VOICES

Papyri retrieved from mummy cartonnage: a video
http://facesandvoices.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/papyri-retrieved-from-mummy-cartonnage-a-video/

Another Indiana Jones? Josh McDowell, mummy cartonnage and biblical papyri
http://facesandvoices.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/another-indiana-jones-josh-mcdowell-mummy-cartonnage-and-biblical-papyri/

MUSEUM EGYPTOLOGY

ENCOUNTERING CORPSES, PART 1.
http://museumegyptology.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/encountering-corpses-part-1/

THE DOUBLE LOTUS

By Nicky van de Beek:

3D projects in Egyptology
http://blog.eurasianstates.org/2014/05/01/3d-projects-in-egyptology/

GARRY SHAW

The Egyptian Myths: The Video
http://garryshawegypt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-egyptian-myths-video.html

KELSEY MUSEUM

By Richard Redding:

We Call It the Silo Building Complex
https://kelseymuseum.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/we-call-it-the-silo-building-complex/