Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
THE GUARDIAN
By Patrick Kingsley:
New generation of archaeologists takes ancient Egypt into 21st century
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/23/egypt-archaeology-restoration-pyramids
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
Open Access Journal: Papyrology eJournal
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/10/open-access-journal-papyrology-ejournal.html
Guide to the Yale Papyrus Collection
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/10/guide-to-yale-papyrus-collection.html
EGYPTIANS
New post by Timothy Reid:
Egypt: 4000 Years of Art
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/10/egypt-4000-years-of-art.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
I spy with my little eye…
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/25/i-spy-with-my-little-eye/
EGYPT AT THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM
Manchester Study Day 14/2/15 – ‘From Amulets to Golden Flies: Understanding Egyptian Jewellery’
http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/manchester-study-day-14215-from-amulets-to-golden-flies-understanding-egyptian-jewellery/
ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
Introducing Nefret-Mut
http://www.rom.on.ca/en/blog/introducing-nefret-mut-0
CULTURE24
Petrie Museum reveals the hidden secrets of Ancient Egyptian archaeology
http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art503654-petrie-museum-reveals-the-hidden-secrets-of-ancient-egyptian-archaeology
EGYPTOLOGY NEWS
Autumn 2014 update from Amarna (received by email)
http://egyptology.blogspot.nl/2014/10/autumn-2014-update-from-amarna-received.html
THE TELEGRAPH
Tutankhamun: the Truth Uncovered, review: 'let sleeping mummies lie'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11185496/Tutankhamun-the-Truth-Uncovered-Review-Dallas-Campbell.html
THE LOUISVILLE CARDINAL
Author Kara Cooney gives a ancient take on empowered women
http://www.louisvillecardinal.com/2014/10/author-kara-cooney-gives-a-ancient-take-on-empowered-women/
BBC NEWS
Goodison Egyptology collection in Southport exhibition
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-29709001
Egyptian Philae obelisk revealed anew
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29734975
ACROSSBORDERS
New post by Julia Budka:
Crossing borders: from Egypt to Nubia
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/crossing-borders-from-egypt-to-nubia/
THE CAIRO POST
Tourists flock to watch Abu Simbel solar alignment
http://thecairopost.com/news/127502/travel-antiquities/tourisst-flock-to-watch-abu-simbel-solar-alignment
German returns statuette to Egypt
http://thecairopost.com/news/127570/travel-antiquities/german-returns-statuette-to-egypt
Egypt tries to halt sale of 35 ‘stolen’ artifacts at US auction house
http://thecairopost.com/news/127598/travel-antiquities/egypt-tries-to-halt-sale-of-35-stolen-artifacts-at-us-auction-house
Luxor to celebrate anniversary of King Tut tomb discovery at UK travel expo
http://thecairopost.com/news/127689/travel-antiquities/luxor-to-celebrate-anniversary-of-king-tut-tomb-discovery-at-uk-travel-expo
Egyptian scholars question incest claims in BBC King Tut documentary
http://thecairopost.com/news/127766/editors-choice/egyptian-scholars-question-incest-claims-in-bbc-king-tut-documentary
Philae Obelisk is examined anew
http://thecairopost.com/news/127916/travel-antiquities/philae-obelisk-is-reexamined-anew
ANCIENT AVARIS
Avaris, Past and Present
http://ancientavaris.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/avaris-gestern-und-heute-avaris-past-and-present/
PER STOREMYR ARCHAEOLOGY & CONSERVATION
A Palaeolithic, life-size Nubian ibex carved on rock: Adel Kelany with new discoveries in Wadi Abu Subeira, Upper Egypt
http://per-storemyr.net/2014/10/27/a-palaeolithic-life-size-nubian-ibex-carved-on-rock-adel-kelany-with-new-discoveries-in-wadi-abu-subeira-upper-egypt/
The ancient stone quarries in Egypt as a new, serial World Heritage Site?
http://per-storemyr.net/2014/10/28/the-ancient-stone-quarries-in-egypt-as-a-new-serial-world-heritage-site/
MUSEUM EGYPTOLOGY
Understanding Egyptian Collections, Part 2.
http://museumegyptology.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/understanding-egyptian-collections-part-2/
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Egyptian scholars question incest claims in BBC King Tut documentary
By Rany Mostafa
CAIRO: Several Egyptian archaeologists have deeply questioned the results of recent research that has attributed the death of Egypt’s Pharaoh Tutankhamen to a genetic disorder.
Last week, researchers at the Institute for Mummies and Icemen in Italy issued a report suggesting the parents of Tutankhamen were brother and sister, from whom he inherited genetic impairments that caused his premature death at the age of 19.
Renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass, as quoted by Al-Ahram Sunday, fiercely described the result as “slander” aimed at “distorting the fame of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh.”
Tutankhamen’s parentage is a historical debate, and Hawass said the assumptions claiming his parents were related are nothing but “medical conclusions that lack historical evidence.”
“The report is a media stunt aimed at acquiring fame at the expense of Tutankhamen,” he added.
The report is based on a virtual autopsy that created a full size computer-generated image of Tutankhamen by using 2,000 computerized tomography (CT) scans of the pharaoh’s mummified body, according to the Daily Mail.
The report includes images portraying Tutankhamen with girlish hips, a club foot and buck teeth. It also suggests that Queen Nefertiti—Tutankhamen’s mother—was the sister of his father, Pharaoh Akhenaton.
CAIRO: Several Egyptian archaeologists have deeply questioned the results of recent research that has attributed the death of Egypt’s Pharaoh Tutankhamen to a genetic disorder.
Last week, researchers at the Institute for Mummies and Icemen in Italy issued a report suggesting the parents of Tutankhamen were brother and sister, from whom he inherited genetic impairments that caused his premature death at the age of 19.
Renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass, as quoted by Al-Ahram Sunday, fiercely described the result as “slander” aimed at “distorting the fame of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh.”
Tutankhamen’s parentage is a historical debate, and Hawass said the assumptions claiming his parents were related are nothing but “medical conclusions that lack historical evidence.”
“The report is a media stunt aimed at acquiring fame at the expense of Tutankhamen,” he added.
The report is based on a virtual autopsy that created a full size computer-generated image of Tutankhamen by using 2,000 computerized tomography (CT) scans of the pharaoh’s mummified body, according to the Daily Mail.
The report includes images portraying Tutankhamen with girlish hips, a club foot and buck teeth. It also suggests that Queen Nefertiti—Tutankhamen’s mother—was the sister of his father, Pharaoh Akhenaton.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
New generation of archaeologists takes ancient Egypt into 21st century
Young experts bring fresh ideas to help reform institutions in charge of likes of Tutankhamun’s tomb and Giza pyramids
By Patrick Kingsley in Cairo for The Guardian, Thursday 23 October 2014
Five years ago, if archaeologists digging up pharaonic ruins in Egypt found any human bones, they would usually throw them away. “Most Egyptian archaeological missions looked at human remains as garbage,” said Afaf Wahba, a young official at Egypt’s antiquities ministry.
But osteology, the study of bones, is standard practice on digs outside Egypt – and Wahba wants Egyptian teams to follow suit. After a five-year campaign, each Egyptian province is now meant to have an osteologist, and Wahba hopes the ministry will found its own osteology department. But, as she put it: “I am struggling to inform people in the SCA [the ministry’s governing body] that human remains are very important.”
Wahba’s mission is one example of a generational shift that optimists hope can slowly reform Egypt’s bureaucratic state institutions, not least its ministry of state for antiquities (MSA). The MSA has ultimate jurisdiction over arguably the planet’s most impressive collection of monuments and museums, hundreds of sites including the tomb of Tutankhamun, the mosques of medieval Cairo, and – in the Giza pyramids – the last remaining wonder of the ancient world.
“It’s a bit like English Heritage, the British Museum and a university research department rolled into one,” said Chris Naunton, the head of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES), a British charity that supports Egyptian archaeology.
By Patrick Kingsley in Cairo for The Guardian, Thursday 23 October 2014
Five years ago, if archaeologists digging up pharaonic ruins in Egypt found any human bones, they would usually throw them away. “Most Egyptian archaeological missions looked at human remains as garbage,” said Afaf Wahba, a young official at Egypt’s antiquities ministry.
But osteology, the study of bones, is standard practice on digs outside Egypt – and Wahba wants Egyptian teams to follow suit. After a five-year campaign, each Egyptian province is now meant to have an osteologist, and Wahba hopes the ministry will found its own osteology department. But, as she put it: “I am struggling to inform people in the SCA [the ministry’s governing body] that human remains are very important.”
Wahba’s mission is one example of a generational shift that optimists hope can slowly reform Egypt’s bureaucratic state institutions, not least its ministry of state for antiquities (MSA). The MSA has ultimate jurisdiction over arguably the planet’s most impressive collection of monuments and museums, hundreds of sites including the tomb of Tutankhamun, the mosques of medieval Cairo, and – in the Giza pyramids – the last remaining wonder of the ancient world.
“It’s a bit like English Heritage, the British Museum and a university research department rolled into one,” said Chris Naunton, the head of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES), a British charity that supports Egyptian archaeology.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Wednesday Weekly # 51
Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
LIVESCIENCE
King Tut's Health: New Mummy Scans Refute Old Diagnosis of Pharaohs
http://www.livescience.com/48369-egyptian-mummy-pharaohs-had-back-disorder.html?adbid=10152338274571761&adbpl=fb&adbpr=30478646760&cmpid=514627_20141021_34124057
SUN SENTINEL
Doctors think mummy died of appendicitis
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-mummy-death-cause-20141016-story.html
THE INDEPENDENT
King Tutankhamun did not die in chariot crash, virtual autopsy reveals
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/king-tutankhamun-did-not-die-in-chariot-crash-virtual-autopsy-reveals-9806586.html
THE GUARDIAN
Tutankhamun does not deserve this 21st-century desecration
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/21/tutankhamun-desecration-computer-scan-images-pharoah-archaeological
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
Requirements of Professional Mourners in Ancient Egypt.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/requirements-professional-mourners-ancient-egypt/
LUXOR TIMES
"Egypt Sunken Secrets" exhibition will be touring 3 European capitals
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/10/egypts-sunken-secrets-exhibition-will.html
AHRAM ONLINE
Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria to undergo restoration
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/113497/Heritage/Museums/GrecoRoman-museum-in-Alexandria-to-undergo-restora.aspx
A collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts recovered from London
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/113538/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/A-collection-of-ancient-Egyptian-artefacts-recover.aspx
THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST
Episode 37: Imperial Projects
Senuseret I (Part IV) and the Gold of Nubia.
http://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/episode-37-imperial-projects
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANIMAL BIO BANK
It’s a wrap!
http://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/its-a-wrap/
BIOGRAPHILE
Hatshepsut’s Egypt: Modern Lessons on Feminism from an Ancient Pharaoh
http://www.biographile.com/hatshepsuts-egypt-modern-lessons-on-feminism-from-an-ancient-pharaoh/36817/
PAST HORIZONS
Conserving by copying: 3D Printing Tutankhamun’s Tomb
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/10/2014/conserving-by-copying-3d-printing-tutankhamuns-tomb
ACROSSBORDERS
New post by Julia Budka:
With kith and kin…
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/with-kith-and-kin/
THE CAIRO POST
'Egypt’s Sunken Treasures’ exhibit to tour Europe starting in December
http://thecairopost.com/news/127091/travel-antiquities/egypts-sunken-treasures-exhibit-to-tour-europe-starting-in-december
Metropolitan Museum of Art rescues 36 Egyptian artifacts from auction
http://thecairopost.com/news/127183/travel-antiquities/metropolitan-museum-of-art-rescues-36-egyptian-artifacts-from-auction
Egypt recovers 15 stolen artifacts from U.K. auctions
http://thecairopost.com/news/127426/travel-antiquities/egypt-recovers-15-stolen-artifacts-from-u-k-auctions
LIVESCIENCE
King Tut's Health: New Mummy Scans Refute Old Diagnosis of Pharaohs
http://www.livescience.com/48369-egyptian-mummy-pharaohs-had-back-disorder.html?adbid=10152338274571761&adbpl=fb&adbpr=30478646760&cmpid=514627_20141021_34124057
SUN SENTINEL
Doctors think mummy died of appendicitis
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-mummy-death-cause-20141016-story.html
THE INDEPENDENT
King Tutankhamun did not die in chariot crash, virtual autopsy reveals
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/king-tutankhamun-did-not-die-in-chariot-crash-virtual-autopsy-reveals-9806586.html
THE GUARDIAN
Tutankhamun does not deserve this 21st-century desecration
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/21/tutankhamun-desecration-computer-scan-images-pharoah-archaeological
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
Requirements of Professional Mourners in Ancient Egypt.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/requirements-professional-mourners-ancient-egypt/
LUXOR TIMES
"Egypt Sunken Secrets" exhibition will be touring 3 European capitals
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/10/egypts-sunken-secrets-exhibition-will.html
AHRAM ONLINE
Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria to undergo restoration
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/113497/Heritage/Museums/GrecoRoman-museum-in-Alexandria-to-undergo-restora.aspx
A collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts recovered from London
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/113538/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/A-collection-of-ancient-Egyptian-artefacts-recover.aspx
THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST
Episode 37: Imperial Projects
Senuseret I (Part IV) and the Gold of Nubia.
http://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/episode-37-imperial-projects
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANIMAL BIO BANK
It’s a wrap!
http://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/its-a-wrap/
BIOGRAPHILE
Hatshepsut’s Egypt: Modern Lessons on Feminism from an Ancient Pharaoh
http://www.biographile.com/hatshepsuts-egypt-modern-lessons-on-feminism-from-an-ancient-pharaoh/36817/
PAST HORIZONS
Conserving by copying: 3D Printing Tutankhamun’s Tomb
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/10/2014/conserving-by-copying-3d-printing-tutankhamuns-tomb
ACROSSBORDERS
New post by Julia Budka:
With kith and kin…
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/with-kith-and-kin/
THE CAIRO POST
'Egypt’s Sunken Treasures’ exhibit to tour Europe starting in December
http://thecairopost.com/news/127091/travel-antiquities/egypts-sunken-treasures-exhibit-to-tour-europe-starting-in-december
Metropolitan Museum of Art rescues 36 Egyptian artifacts from auction
http://thecairopost.com/news/127183/travel-antiquities/metropolitan-museum-of-art-rescues-36-egyptian-artifacts-from-auction
Egypt recovers 15 stolen artifacts from U.K. auctions
http://thecairopost.com/news/127426/travel-antiquities/egypt-recovers-15-stolen-artifacts-from-u-k-auctions
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
King Tut's Health: New Mummy Scans Refute Old Diagnosis of Pharaohs
by Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor | October 21, 2014
The royalty of ancient Egypt suffered from an age-related back disorder, according to a new body scan of the mummies of pharaohs.
The new research clears up a long-standing mummy misdiagnosis, which held that some rulers who lived between about 1492 B.C. and 1153 B.C. had a painful inflammatory disorder called ankylosing spondylitis. This disease would have fused their vertebrae together starting from an early age.
"We are now questioning the reality that ankylosing spondylitis is actually an ancient disease," said study researcher Sahar Saleem of the Kasr Al Ainy Faculty of Medicine in Cairo. Whether it is an ancient disease or not, the altered diagnosis suggests that famed pharaohs, including Ramesses the Great, did not live out their final years in great pain. Instead, their disorder was likely asymptomatic, Saleem told Live Science.
Pharaoh's backbone
The mummies of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties of ancient Egypt are incredibly well-preserved. These were the gilded times of such rulers as the 18th-dynasty boy king Tutankhamun, whose ornate burial mask is a universal symbol of ancient Egypt, and the 19th-dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II, also called "the Great" because of his military success and soaring monuments.
The royalty of ancient Egypt suffered from an age-related back disorder, according to a new body scan of the mummies of pharaohs.
The new research clears up a long-standing mummy misdiagnosis, which held that some rulers who lived between about 1492 B.C. and 1153 B.C. had a painful inflammatory disorder called ankylosing spondylitis. This disease would have fused their vertebrae together starting from an early age.
"We are now questioning the reality that ankylosing spondylitis is actually an ancient disease," said study researcher Sahar Saleem of the Kasr Al Ainy Faculty of Medicine in Cairo. Whether it is an ancient disease or not, the altered diagnosis suggests that famed pharaohs, including Ramesses the Great, did not live out their final years in great pain. Instead, their disorder was likely asymptomatic, Saleem told Live Science.
Pharaoh's backbone
The mummies of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties of ancient Egypt are incredibly well-preserved. These were the gilded times of such rulers as the 18th-dynasty boy king Tutankhamun, whose ornate burial mask is a universal symbol of ancient Egypt, and the 19th-dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II, also called "the Great" because of his military success and soaring monuments.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Museum Pieces - Relief of Ptolemy II with Ptah and Sekhmet
 |
| Photocredit: Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam |
Present location: ALLARD PIERSON MUSEUM [06/002] AMSTERDAM
Inventorynr: APM 8795
Dating: PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHUS
Archaeological Site: UNKNOWN
Category: RELIEF
Material: LIMESTONE
Height: 44 cm
Width: 65 cm
Panel A shows Ptolemy II Philadelphus standing before Ptah, adoring him and presenting with his right hand a statuette of Ma'at to the god. The king wears the nemes-head dress with uraeus and the ceremonial beard. He is adorned with the wesekh-collar, bracelets and armlets. His clothing is a short, smooth kilt with a belt. Panel B shows the god Ptah standing in a shrine, wearing his usual tight-fitting garment and skull cap. He too wears the ceremonial beard and a collier with a counterpoise on his back. With both hands he holds a staff, of which the top is formed by the hieroglyphs meaning "prosperity", "life" and "durability". The goddess Sekhmet, on panel C, wears a long dress with shoulder bands, a long wig, a collier, two armlets and two bracelets. On her head is the sun disk with a uraeus. In her left hand she holds a staff which ends in a papyrus flower, in her right hand an ankh-sign. The three figures are finely carved, in contrast to the hieroglyphic inscriptions.
Translation
(1) Offering Ma'at (truth) to his father, that he may give life.
(2) [Horus] of Edfu, the great god, lord of the sky.
(3) Userkare-[meramen] ("Mighty is the soul of Re, beloved of Amun"),
(4) [Ptolem]y, may he live eternally.
(5) May all protection, life and prosperity be behind him like Re.
(6) Ptah, lord of Ma'at, king of the Two Lands,
(7) fair of face, who is upon the great throne,
(8) the [great] god, who is in Dendera.
(9) I give you an eternity as king of the Two Lands.
(10) [Sekhmet, ...] of the Two Lands, mistress of all foreign lands,
(11) [..., the great], beloved of Ptah, mistress of the sky.
(12) I give you all joy like Re.
Bibliography
W.A. van Leer, MVEOL, 3, 1936, 12-13/pl. III (nr. 7-8)
B. Porter, R.L.B. Moss, Topographical bibliography, VI, 1939, 110
W.M. van Haarlem (ed.), CAA Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, Fasc. 1, 1986, 51-53
R.A. Lunsingh Scheurleer, W.M. van Haarlem, Gids voor de afdeling Egypte, Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, 1986, 28, 30/fig. 11 (nr. 9)
W.M. van Haarlem, De Egyptische staatsgodsdienst, MVAPM 44 (september 1988), 8-16: 12, 14/fig. 29
R.A. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Egypte, geschenk van de Nijl, 1992, 104, 103/fig. 70
Sources:
http://dpc.uba.uva.nl
http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/detail.aspx?id=12565
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Meidum Pyramid site under restoration in Upper Egypt
The Meidum Pyramid’s archaeological site in Beni Suef is being restored by the government in an attempt to attract tourists to Egypt
By Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 16 Oct 2014
Antiquities minister Mamdouh El-Damaty embarked on Thursday on an inspection tour around the different archaeological sites and monuments in the upper Egyptian city of Beni Suef escorted by the city’s governor Magdi El-Batiti and Youssef Khalifa, head of the ancient Egyptian section.
The area of Meidum Pyramid was the first site to be visited. During the tour, El-Damaty announced that a comprehensive restoration project is to begin immediately to make the site more tourist friendly.
The development project will include the establishment of a sound and light show on the ancient history of Beni Suef and the construction work of Meidum pyramid.
A new lighting system powered by solar energy is to be installed as well as a visitor’s centre equipped with a cinema, bookstore, gift shops and cafeteria.
El-Damaty also gave the go ahead for the ministry’s excavation works at Ehnasia site to conduct further exploration in addition to the restoration project that is already underway. The site is to be developed into an open-air museum.
The Meidum pyramid consists of large mud-break mastabas which were originally built for the last third dynasty king Huni. Construction continued during the reign of his successor King Senefru.
The architect who continued Meidum construction was the successor to well-known ancient Egyptian architect Imotep, who built the Djoser step pyramid. However, the modification made Imotep’s design and attempts to extend the structure led to its partial collapse.
By Nevine El-Aref , Thursday 16 Oct 2014
Antiquities minister Mamdouh El-Damaty embarked on Thursday on an inspection tour around the different archaeological sites and monuments in the upper Egyptian city of Beni Suef escorted by the city’s governor Magdi El-Batiti and Youssef Khalifa, head of the ancient Egyptian section.
The area of Meidum Pyramid was the first site to be visited. During the tour, El-Damaty announced that a comprehensive restoration project is to begin immediately to make the site more tourist friendly.
The development project will include the establishment of a sound and light show on the ancient history of Beni Suef and the construction work of Meidum pyramid.
A new lighting system powered by solar energy is to be installed as well as a visitor’s centre equipped with a cinema, bookstore, gift shops and cafeteria.
El-Damaty also gave the go ahead for the ministry’s excavation works at Ehnasia site to conduct further exploration in addition to the restoration project that is already underway. The site is to be developed into an open-air museum.
The Meidum pyramid consists of large mud-break mastabas which were originally built for the last third dynasty king Huni. Construction continued during the reign of his successor King Senefru.
The architect who continued Meidum construction was the successor to well-known ancient Egyptian architect Imotep, who built the Djoser step pyramid. However, the modification made Imotep’s design and attempts to extend the structure led to its partial collapse.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Wednesday Weekly # 50
Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
THE CAIRO POST
By Rany Mostafa:
Antiquities crimes should be a felony: Zahi Hawass
http://thecairopost.com/news/126768/travel-antiquities/antiquities-crimes-should-be-a-felony-zahi-hawass
UNESCO seminar to fund Egypt’s stumbling archaeological projects
http://thecairopost.com/news/126643/travel-antiquities/unesco-seminar-to-fund-egypts-stumbling-archaeological-projects
Luxor celebrates 110th anniversary of Queen Nefertari Tomb discovery
http://thecairopost.com/news/126818/travel-antiquities/luxor-celebrates-110th-anniversary-of-queen-nefertari-tomb-discovery
Menkaure Pyramid to be opened for public: Antiquities Ministry
http://thecairopost.com/news/126987/travel-antiquities/menkaure-pyramid-to-be-opened-for-public-antiquities-ministry
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
Exhibition: When the Greeks Ruled Egypt: From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/10/exhibition-when-greeks-ruled-egypt-from.html
EGYPTIANS
New blogpost by Timothy Reid:
Pharaoh's People
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/10/pharaohs-people.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
New post by Molly Gleeson:
Consolidating a painted wooden shabti
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/11/consolidating-a-painted-wooden-shabti/
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
Sexual Stimulation in Ancient Egypt: The Ushabti of Pay.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/sexual-stimulation-ancient-egypt-ushabti-pay/
AHRAM ONLINE
The cultural section of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is to open end of November
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/112997/Heritage/Museums/The-cultural-section-of-the-National-Museum-of-Egy.aspx
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
Metropolitan Museum Acquires Important Group of Egyptian Vessels and Ornaments Excavated in 1913-14 at Haraga
http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/press-room/news/2014/egyptian-haraga
GLEN DASH FOUNDATION BLOG
What We Can Learn from the Remarkable (Mis)Alignments at Dahshur
http://glendash.com/blog/2014/10/10/what-we-can-learn-from-the-remarkable-misalignments-at-dahshur/
ANCIENT EGYPT ALIVE!
New blogpost by Thomas H. Greiner:
“Unwrapping Egypt” in Kitchener: Magnificent Objects on Display in Local Museum
http://www.ancientegyptalive.com/2014/10/13/unwrapping-egypt-in-kitchener-magnificent-objects-on-display-in-local-museum/
SCRIBE ACADEMY
The basics #3: 1-consonant, 2-consonant and 3-consonant hieroglyphs
http://www.scribeacademy.co.uk/blog/the-basics-3-1-consonant-2-consonant-and-3-consonant-hieroglyphs
EES IMBABA SURVEY
A successful season and thanks to all
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/99807128276/a-successful-season-and-thanks-to-all
EUREKALERT!
UCLA Egyptologist gives new life to female pharaoh from 15th century BC
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/uoc--ueg100814.php
THE CAIRO POST
By Rany Mostafa:
Antiquities crimes should be a felony: Zahi Hawass
http://thecairopost.com/news/126768/travel-antiquities/antiquities-crimes-should-be-a-felony-zahi-hawass
UNESCO seminar to fund Egypt’s stumbling archaeological projects
http://thecairopost.com/news/126643/travel-antiquities/unesco-seminar-to-fund-egypts-stumbling-archaeological-projects
Luxor celebrates 110th anniversary of Queen Nefertari Tomb discovery
http://thecairopost.com/news/126818/travel-antiquities/luxor-celebrates-110th-anniversary-of-queen-nefertari-tomb-discovery
Menkaure Pyramid to be opened for public: Antiquities Ministry
http://thecairopost.com/news/126987/travel-antiquities/menkaure-pyramid-to-be-opened-for-public-antiquities-ministry
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
Exhibition: When the Greeks Ruled Egypt: From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/10/exhibition-when-greeks-ruled-egypt-from.html
EGYPTIANS
New blogpost by Timothy Reid:
Pharaoh's People
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/10/pharaohs-people.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
New post by Molly Gleeson:
Consolidating a painted wooden shabti
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/11/consolidating-a-painted-wooden-shabti/
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
Sexual Stimulation in Ancient Egypt: The Ushabti of Pay.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/sexual-stimulation-ancient-egypt-ushabti-pay/
AHRAM ONLINE
The cultural section of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is to open end of November
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/112997/Heritage/Museums/The-cultural-section-of-the-National-Museum-of-Egy.aspx
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
Metropolitan Museum Acquires Important Group of Egyptian Vessels and Ornaments Excavated in 1913-14 at Haraga
http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/press-room/news/2014/egyptian-haraga
GLEN DASH FOUNDATION BLOG
What We Can Learn from the Remarkable (Mis)Alignments at Dahshur
http://glendash.com/blog/2014/10/10/what-we-can-learn-from-the-remarkable-misalignments-at-dahshur/
ANCIENT EGYPT ALIVE!
New blogpost by Thomas H. Greiner:
“Unwrapping Egypt” in Kitchener: Magnificent Objects on Display in Local Museum
http://www.ancientegyptalive.com/2014/10/13/unwrapping-egypt-in-kitchener-magnificent-objects-on-display-in-local-museum/
SCRIBE ACADEMY
The basics #3: 1-consonant, 2-consonant and 3-consonant hieroglyphs
http://www.scribeacademy.co.uk/blog/the-basics-3-1-consonant-2-consonant-and-3-consonant-hieroglyphs
EES IMBABA SURVEY
A successful season and thanks to all
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/99807128276/a-successful-season-and-thanks-to-all
EUREKALERT!
UCLA Egyptologist gives new life to female pharaoh from 15th century BC
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/uoc--ueg100814.php
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
UCLA Egyptologist gives new life to female pharaoh from 15th century B.C.
No usurper, Hatshepsut was just really good at her job, according to new biography
By Meg Sullivan | October 08, 2014
By the time of her death in 1458 B.C., Egypt’s Pharaoh Hatshepsut had presided over her kingdom’s most peaceful and prosperous period in generations. Yet by 25 years later, much of the evidence of her success had been erased or reassigned to her male forebears.
Even after 20th century archaeologists began to unearth traces of the woman who defied tradition to crown herself as king, Hatshepsut still didn’t get her due, a UCLA Egyptologist argues in a forthcoming book.
“She’s been described as a usurper, and the obliteration of her contributions has been attributed to a backlash against what has been seen as her power-grabbing ways,” said Kara Cooney, the author of “The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt.”
In the mainstream biography, due Oct. 14 from Crown Publishing, Cooney sets out to rehabilitate the reputation of the 18th dynasty ruler whom she considers to be “the most formidable and successful woman to ever rule in the Western ancient world.” To find a parallel, Cooney argues, one has to look to Empress Lü of third century B.C. China, Elizabeth I or Catherine the Great.
“Hatshepsut’s story needs to be carefully resurrected and her modus operandi needs to be dissected and analyzed in a more fair-minded way,” said Cooney, an associate professor of Near Eastern languages and culture in the UCLA College. “I see her as a person who created her position based on her ability to do the job rather than her desire for it.”
By Meg Sullivan | October 08, 2014
By the time of her death in 1458 B.C., Egypt’s Pharaoh Hatshepsut had presided over her kingdom’s most peaceful and prosperous period in generations. Yet by 25 years later, much of the evidence of her success had been erased or reassigned to her male forebears.
Even after 20th century archaeologists began to unearth traces of the woman who defied tradition to crown herself as king, Hatshepsut still didn’t get her due, a UCLA Egyptologist argues in a forthcoming book.
“She’s been described as a usurper, and the obliteration of her contributions has been attributed to a backlash against what has been seen as her power-grabbing ways,” said Kara Cooney, the author of “The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt.”
In the mainstream biography, due Oct. 14 from Crown Publishing, Cooney sets out to rehabilitate the reputation of the 18th dynasty ruler whom she considers to be “the most formidable and successful woman to ever rule in the Western ancient world.” To find a parallel, Cooney argues, one has to look to Empress Lü of third century B.C. China, Elizabeth I or Catherine the Great.
“Hatshepsut’s story needs to be carefully resurrected and her modus operandi needs to be dissected and analyzed in a more fair-minded way,” said Cooney, an associate professor of Near Eastern languages and culture in the UCLA College. “I see her as a person who created her position based on her ability to do the job rather than her desire for it.”
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Luxor celebrates 110th anniversary of Queen Nefertari Tomb discovery
By Rany Mostafa
CAIRO: In commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the discovery of Queen Nefertari’s Tomb, the Tourism Ministry has organized a 10-day celebration starting Oct. 15 at the Valley of the Queens west of Luxor, Ahmed Shoukry, the International Tourism Sector Chairman at the General Authority for Tourism, told The Cairo Post Saturday.
Queen Nefertari (1295 B.C.-1255 B.C.) was the wife of Pharaoh Ramses II (1279 B.C.-1223 B.C.), and one of the most famous Egyptian queens. Her tomb was discovered in 1904 by Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli (1856-1928), who was the director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Sheref el-Sabban, dean of the Tourism and Hotels Faculty at Minya University, told The Cairo Post Saturday.
The celebrations are organized by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Egypt, Civil Aviation Ministry and the Tourism Promotion Authority, according to Shoukry.
“Media figures from both Egypt and Italy, Italian archaeologists and tour operators will be attending the celebrations, which are expected to pull in more tourists to Luxor and Upper Egypt,” said Shoukry.
For two decades, the tomb has been under restoration and access was restricted to VIPs, archaeological missions and private visits, Sabban said.
“In 1998, an international team of archaeologists and restoration workers undertook the restoration of the tomb, which has been suffering from rainwater that has leaked into the tomb over thousands of years. Salt deposits also ruined most of the plaster layers on its walls,” Sabban added.
In July, the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced it would launch a project to build an exact, full-size replica of Queen Nefertari’s tomb to divert tourists away from the badly damaged original tomb while still providing them the chance to experience what the original looks like.
“The facsimile production of the tomb will record every tiny detail and dozens of square yards of inscriptions and depictions of scenes found in the original tomb,” Shoukry previously told The Cairo Post.
However, Magdy Mohsen, a local tour guide working in Luxor, also previously told The Cairo Post that the tomb is the best preserved and the most spectacular in Egypt.
“During my few visits to the tomb, I was always just like my guests—excited! At the end of the 10- minute-visit, my guests, fascinated with its bright colors, all say it must have been finished and painted yesterday,” Mohsen said.
Sources:
http://thecairopost.com/news/126818/travel-antiquities/luxor-celebrates-110th-anniversary-of-queen-nefertari-tomb-discovery
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maler_der_Grabkammer_der_Nefertari_002.jpg?uselang=nl
CAIRO: In commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the discovery of Queen Nefertari’s Tomb, the Tourism Ministry has organized a 10-day celebration starting Oct. 15 at the Valley of the Queens west of Luxor, Ahmed Shoukry, the International Tourism Sector Chairman at the General Authority for Tourism, told The Cairo Post Saturday.
 |
| Photocredit: Wikimedia Commons |
Queen Nefertari (1295 B.C.-1255 B.C.) was the wife of Pharaoh Ramses II (1279 B.C.-1223 B.C.), and one of the most famous Egyptian queens. Her tomb was discovered in 1904 by Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli (1856-1928), who was the director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Sheref el-Sabban, dean of the Tourism and Hotels Faculty at Minya University, told The Cairo Post Saturday.
The celebrations are organized by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Egypt, Civil Aviation Ministry and the Tourism Promotion Authority, according to Shoukry.
“Media figures from both Egypt and Italy, Italian archaeologists and tour operators will be attending the celebrations, which are expected to pull in more tourists to Luxor and Upper Egypt,” said Shoukry.
For two decades, the tomb has been under restoration and access was restricted to VIPs, archaeological missions and private visits, Sabban said.
“In 1998, an international team of archaeologists and restoration workers undertook the restoration of the tomb, which has been suffering from rainwater that has leaked into the tomb over thousands of years. Salt deposits also ruined most of the plaster layers on its walls,” Sabban added.
In July, the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced it would launch a project to build an exact, full-size replica of Queen Nefertari’s tomb to divert tourists away from the badly damaged original tomb while still providing them the chance to experience what the original looks like.
“The facsimile production of the tomb will record every tiny detail and dozens of square yards of inscriptions and depictions of scenes found in the original tomb,” Shoukry previously told The Cairo Post.
However, Magdy Mohsen, a local tour guide working in Luxor, also previously told The Cairo Post that the tomb is the best preserved and the most spectacular in Egypt.
“During my few visits to the tomb, I was always just like my guests—excited! At the end of the 10- minute-visit, my guests, fascinated with its bright colors, all say it must have been finished and painted yesterday,” Mohsen said.
Sources:
http://thecairopost.com/news/126818/travel-antiquities/luxor-celebrates-110th-anniversary-of-queen-nefertari-tomb-discovery
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maler_der_Grabkammer_der_Nefertari_002.jpg?uselang=nl
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Wednesday Weekly # 49
Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
SLATE
What Is It Like to Be an Egyptologist?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2014/10/01/what_is_it_like_to_be_an_egyptologist.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY
By Al-Sayed Mahfouz:
Legend of the Sesostris Canal
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7397/47/Legend-of-the-Sesostris-Canal-.aspx
NYTIMES.COM
By John Noble Wilford:
Multiculturalism: Nothing New
‘When the Greeks Ruled Egypt’ Highlights the Diversity of Cultures in Ptolemaic Egypt
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/science/when-the-greeks-ruled-egypt-highlights-the-diversity-of-cultures-in-ptolemaic-egypt.html?referrer&_r=0
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
Le Wiki Culture Diff': Ressources en Egyptologie
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2010/08/egyotilogical-wiki-culture-diff.html
Open Access Journal: Rosetta: Papers of the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2012/03/open-access-journal-rosetta-papers-of.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
New posts by Molly Gleeson:
Exploring Villanova’s new CAVE
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/03/exploring-villanovas-new-cave/
Views inside a painted wooden coffin
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/04/views-inside-a-painted-wooden-coffin/
Sizing up our child mummy
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/04/sizing-up-our-child-mummy/
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
A Sexual Scene in Egyptian Art: Stele of Sebekaa.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/sexual-act-ancient-egyptian-work-art-stele-sebekaa/
EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA
Dressing-up: not just for children
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2014/10/dressing-up-not-just-for-children.html
AERA
By Rudeina Bayoumi, Rehab Ahmed Mohamed and Aisha Mohamed Montaser (MSA ceramic students):
Choose the short straw…
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/choose-the-short-straw/
Perunefer or ‘bon voyage’ in ancient Egyptian
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/perunefer-or-bon-voyage-in-ancient-egyptian/
THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST
Episode 36: The White Chapel
Senuseret I (Part III) and Karnak Temple.
http://ec.libsyn.com/p/9/e/0/9e084523fc2147e7/36._The_White_Chapel.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d06c98530d0c85b23b3&c_id=7688062
THE ART NEWSPAPER
St Louis archaeological society puts its Egyptian treasure up for auction
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/St-Louis-archaeological-society-sells-Egyptian-treasure/35718
SOUTH ASASIF CONSERVATION PROJECT BLOG
Irtieru and the Woman in Black Garmets: A Story told by Miguel Molinero Polo
http://southasasif.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/irtieru-and-the-woman-in-black-garmets-a-story-told-by-miguel-molinero-polo/
ANCIENT EGYPT ALIVE!
Dr. Bednarski brings ARCE’s Recent Excavation in Luxor, Egypt Alive!
http://www.ancientegyptalive.com/2014/10/04/dr-bednarski-brings-arces-recent-excavation-in-luxor-egypt-alive/
THE CAIRO POST
Northampton Museums barred from Museum Association over sale of Sekhemka statue
http://thecairopost.com/news/126613/topnews/northampton-museums-barred-from-museum-association-over-sale-of-sekhemka-statue
SCRIBE ACADEMY
The basics #2: transliteration
http://www.scribeacademy.co.uk/blog/the-basics-2-transliteration
SLATE
What Is It Like to Be an Egyptologist?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2014/10/01/what_is_it_like_to_be_an_egyptologist.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY
By Al-Sayed Mahfouz:
Legend of the Sesostris Canal
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7397/47/Legend-of-the-Sesostris-Canal-.aspx
NYTIMES.COM
By John Noble Wilford:
Multiculturalism: Nothing New
‘When the Greeks Ruled Egypt’ Highlights the Diversity of Cultures in Ptolemaic Egypt
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/science/when-the-greeks-ruled-egypt-highlights-the-diversity-of-cultures-in-ptolemaic-egypt.html?referrer&_r=0
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
Le Wiki Culture Diff': Ressources en Egyptologie
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2010/08/egyotilogical-wiki-culture-diff.html
Open Access Journal: Rosetta: Papers of the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2012/03/open-access-journal-rosetta-papers-of.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
New posts by Molly Gleeson:
Exploring Villanova’s new CAVE
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/03/exploring-villanovas-new-cave/
Views inside a painted wooden coffin
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/04/views-inside-a-painted-wooden-coffin/
Sizing up our child mummy
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/10/04/sizing-up-our-child-mummy/
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
A Sexual Scene in Egyptian Art: Stele of Sebekaa.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/sexual-act-ancient-egyptian-work-art-stele-sebekaa/
EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA
Dressing-up: not just for children
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2014/10/dressing-up-not-just-for-children.html
AERA
By Rudeina Bayoumi, Rehab Ahmed Mohamed and Aisha Mohamed Montaser (MSA ceramic students):
Choose the short straw…
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/choose-the-short-straw/
Perunefer or ‘bon voyage’ in ancient Egyptian
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/perunefer-or-bon-voyage-in-ancient-egyptian/
THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST
Episode 36: The White Chapel
Senuseret I (Part III) and Karnak Temple.
http://ec.libsyn.com/p/9/e/0/9e084523fc2147e7/36._The_White_Chapel.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d06c98530d0c85b23b3&c_id=7688062
THE ART NEWSPAPER
St Louis archaeological society puts its Egyptian treasure up for auction
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/St-Louis-archaeological-society-sells-Egyptian-treasure/35718
SOUTH ASASIF CONSERVATION PROJECT BLOG
Irtieru and the Woman in Black Garmets: A Story told by Miguel Molinero Polo
http://southasasif.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/irtieru-and-the-woman-in-black-garmets-a-story-told-by-miguel-molinero-polo/
ANCIENT EGYPT ALIVE!
Dr. Bednarski brings ARCE’s Recent Excavation in Luxor, Egypt Alive!
http://www.ancientegyptalive.com/2014/10/04/dr-bednarski-brings-arces-recent-excavation-in-luxor-egypt-alive/
THE CAIRO POST
Northampton Museums barred from Museum Association over sale of Sekhemka statue
http://thecairopost.com/news/126613/topnews/northampton-museums-barred-from-museum-association-over-sale-of-sekhemka-statue
SCRIBE ACADEMY
The basics #2: transliteration
http://www.scribeacademy.co.uk/blog/the-basics-2-transliteration
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Multiculturalism: Nothing New
‘When the Greeks Ruled Egypt’ Highlights the Diversity of Cultures in Ptolemaic Egypt
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
OCTOBER 6, 2014
For the three centuries from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra, Greeks ruled Egypt not so much as foreign conquerors but as the next dynasty in the long line of pharaohs. It was not out of character for Alexander himself to assume the power and status of a pharaoh, not to mention the promised fringe benefit of a grand afterlife and kinship to the Egyptian gods.
Though these classical Greeks knew a thing or two about grandeur, they were bedazzled by the pyramids at Giza, temples up the Nile, and varied cultures speaking different languages and living side by side. Instead of imposing Greek culture, the new rulers oversaw an early and generally successful experiment in multiculturalism. Their new city Alexandria grew to be the cosmopolitan center of a hybrid culture.
The Greek strategy may have been common for ancient empires, scholars say, but not so in the age of nation-states, and especially not in today’s Middle East.
The Greek royal family in Egypt, the Ptolemies, embraced many local customs, among them marriages of brother and sister to keep political power in the family. In their reinterpretation of Egyptian divinities, they emphasized their link to the Egyptian triad of the gods Osiris, Isis and Horus. Osiris and Isis were brother and sister, and Horus their offspring. To Greeks, who frowned on incestuous unions, the Ptolemaic message was when in Egypt, do as the Egyptians do.
Their overriding policy was not to demand assimilation but to accept many ways of life. No official language was imposed for all purposes. Government affairs were often conducted in Greek, but also in Demotic, the local everyday language derived from the more formal hieroglyphs. Jewish and other immigrants often spoke and wrote Aramaic.
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
OCTOBER 6, 2014
For the three centuries from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra, Greeks ruled Egypt not so much as foreign conquerors but as the next dynasty in the long line of pharaohs. It was not out of character for Alexander himself to assume the power and status of a pharaoh, not to mention the promised fringe benefit of a grand afterlife and kinship to the Egyptian gods.
Though these classical Greeks knew a thing or two about grandeur, they were bedazzled by the pyramids at Giza, temples up the Nile, and varied cultures speaking different languages and living side by side. Instead of imposing Greek culture, the new rulers oversaw an early and generally successful experiment in multiculturalism. Their new city Alexandria grew to be the cosmopolitan center of a hybrid culture.
The Greek strategy may have been common for ancient empires, scholars say, but not so in the age of nation-states, and especially not in today’s Middle East.
The Greek royal family in Egypt, the Ptolemies, embraced many local customs, among them marriages of brother and sister to keep political power in the family. In their reinterpretation of Egyptian divinities, they emphasized their link to the Egyptian triad of the gods Osiris, Isis and Horus. Osiris and Isis were brother and sister, and Horus their offspring. To Greeks, who frowned on incestuous unions, the Ptolemaic message was when in Egypt, do as the Egyptians do.
Their overriding policy was not to demand assimilation but to accept many ways of life. No official language was imposed for all purposes. Government affairs were often conducted in Greek, but also in Demotic, the local everyday language derived from the more formal hieroglyphs. Jewish and other immigrants often spoke and wrote Aramaic.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Museum Pieces - Figure of a Woman
Figure of a Woman
This fragment is from a group that depicted the woman with another person, probably her husband. It was likely intended to be placed in their tomb. The hand of the second person is visible on the woman's upper arm. Part of the inscription on the back pillar is preserved and identifies the woman as a housewife, although her name is lost. The type of wig and the style of the face date the piece to the reign of King Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC). It is also possible that the figure was produced in the late 19th or early 20th century as a forgery.
PERIOD: ca. 1360 BC (?) (New Kingdom (?))
MEDIUM: limestone with traces of paint (Sculpture)
ACCESSION NUMBER: 22.150
MEASUREMENTS: 9 13/16 x 7 1/2 x 5 5/16 in. (25 x 19 x 13.5 cm)
[Translation] [Everything which comes forth upon] the table of the offerings to the spirit of the lady
Source: http://art.thewalters.org/detail/27066/figure-of-a-woman/
PERIOD: ca. 1360 BC (?) (New Kingdom (?))
MEDIUM: limestone with traces of paint (Sculpture)
ACCESSION NUMBER: 22.150
MEASUREMENTS: 9 13/16 x 7 1/2 x 5 5/16 in. (25 x 19 x 13.5 cm)
[Translation] [Everything which comes forth upon] the table of the offerings to the spirit of the lady
Source: http://art.thewalters.org/detail/27066/figure-of-a-woman/
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Legend of the Sesostris Canal
There is no historical evidence for the existence of the ancient Sesostris Canal that was once said to link the Nile to the Red Sea, writes Al-Sayed Mahfouz
During media discussions of the new Suez Canal project that is to be built in parallel to the existing canal in the east of the country, many references were made to an ancient canal that the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Sesostris is said to have dug to link the Nile with the Red Sea. Many take the existence of this canal as a historical fact, when its existence has never been proved, however.
According to legend, Sesostris III, the fifth pharoah of the twelfth dynasty, connected the now extinct Pelusiac Branch of the Nile with the Red Sea by a canal. This story is mentioned in many books on the period, and a section of the new Suez Museum has even been set aside to this alleged canal. But the story is false.
The tendency to offer legend as fact in some Egyptian museums is deplorable and even laughable. Another example of this tendency is the so-called mummy of Hatshepsut, currently in display in the Egyptian Museum, which has not been irrefutably linked to the ancient queen.
Those who wish to learn more about the Sesostris Canal can refer to an excellent Arabic-language essay written by the late professor Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Halim, “The Nile-Red Sea Canal called the Sesostris Canal,” in which he examines, and refutes, the story.
Those who wish to learn more about the Sesostris Canal can refer to an excellent Arabic-language essay written by the late professor Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Halim, “The Nile-Red Sea Canal called the Sesostris Canal,” in which he examines, and refutes, the story.
The legend started with the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who attributed the digging of the canal to the pharaoh Nkhaw in 610 BCE, saying that it was left incomplete. But archaeological work conducted near Suez and the Bitter Lakes have produced no traces of habitation connected with the Middle Kingdom, during which Sesostris reportedly dug the said canal.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Wednesday Weekly # 48
Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
ANSAMED
Italian-Spanish archeologists to launch dig into Luxor tomb
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/italy/2014/09/26/italian-spanish-archeologists-to-launch-dig-into-luxor-tomb_84835fad-db48-412a-baf2-51a4fc8cbe2e.html?idPhoto=1
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY
By Nevine El-Aref:
Al-Alamein site to re-open
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7313/47/Al-Alamein-site-to-re-open.aspx
LIVESCIENCE
By Bahar Gholipour:
Egyptian Mummy's Brain Imprint Preserved in 'Peculiar' Case
http://www.livescience.com/48042-ancient-mummy-brain-vessels.html
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
The British Museum: Ancient Egypt and Sudan Library Acquisitions Lists
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/09/the-british-museum-ancient-egypt-and.html
Wilkinson Egyptology Series Online
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/09/wilkinson-egyptology-series-online.html
Egyptology Books and Articles in PDF Online
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2013/12/egyptology-books-and-articles-in-pdf.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
More on Madame Rubinstein
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/09/24/more-on-madame-rubinstein/
EGYPTIANS
New post by Timothy Reid:
Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/09/gods-and-myths-of-ancient-egypt.html
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
The Ancient Egyptian Dead Breathes Thanks to “The Hand in the Mouth”.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/ancient-egyptian-dead-breathes-thanks-hand-mouth
AHRAM ONLINE
New discovery: Hair extensions are as old as ancient Egyptians
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/111606/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/New-discovery-Hair-extensions-are-as-old-as-ancien.aspx
Egypt's archaeological sites free for two days
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/111796/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Egypts-archaeological-sites-free-for-two-days.aspx
AERA
By Mahmoud Nour-Eldin Mohammed, Illustration trainee:
Special guest
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/special-guest/
By Dr. Giulio Lucarini, University of Cambridge, UK:
Making flour…and not only
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/making-flour-and-not-only/
DAILY NEWS EGYPT
Abu Simbel Antiquities celebrates 46 years since temple’s rescue
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/09/24/abu-simbel-antiquities-celebrates-46-years-since-temples-rescue-2/
CALGARY SSEA
Lecture: The End of the 19th Dynasty and the 20th Dynasty
Date: 7:30 – 9:00 pm, 03-Oct-2014
Continuing our series on an overview of Egyptian history, the Calgary SSEA is proud to present a talk on the end of the 19th Dynasty and the 20th Dynasty. With the passing of Ramesses II, Egypt appears to experienced some turmoil. The royal succession was contested in the Theban area with Sety II in the North and Amenmesse in the South. Exactly how this conflict played out is hotly debated in Egyptology. What is clear is that the 19th Dynasty ended with a new Dynasty in control. Far from being a stable era, the 20th Dynasty kings had to contend with a fluctuating Nile, economic pressures and the threat of the Sea Peoples and Libyans attempting to make their way into Egypt.
http://www.calgaryssea.ca/2014/09/17/lecture-the-end-of-the-19th-dynasty-and-the-20th-dynasty/
EGYPT EXPLORATION SOCIETY
The Loss of Antiquities from Public Collections
http://www.ees.ac.uk/userfiles/file/Petrie%20Mus_EES%20The%20Loss%20of%20Antiquities%20from%20Public%20Collections(1).pdf
ACROSSBORDERS
By Arvi Korhonen:
“Groovy” stone objects from Pharaonic settlements
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/groovy-stone-objects-from-pharaonic-settlements/
AMARNA PROJECT
Amarna Project receives NEH grant
http://amarna-project.blogspot.nl/2014/09/amarna-project-receives-neh-grant.html
EL KURRU: A ROYAL CITY OF ANCIENT KUSH
The National Geographic film that will include footage of our season will be broadcast on PBS stations here in the United States beginning on October 1. Check local listings for "Black Pharaohs". DVDs will be available through National Geographic after that, and I assume the program will also be available for streaming, but that remains to be seen.
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/09/the-national-geographic-film-that-will.html
THE CAIRO POST
Free admission to museums and sites on World Tourism Day
http://thecairopost.com/news/125656/travel-antiquities/free-admission-to-museums-and-sites-on-world-tourism-day-damaty
Hibis Temple to be reopened for public in November
http://thecairopost.com/news/125720/travel-antiquities/hibis-temple-to-be-reopened-for-public-in-november-damaty
UNESCO seeks truth about alleged improper Step Pyramid renovation
http://thecairopost.com/news/125783/travel-antiquities/unesco-seeks-truth-about-alleged-improper-step-pyramid-renovation
Will Egypt’s latest attempt to regain Rosetta Stone work?
http://thecairopost.com/news/125826/travel-antiquities/will-egypts-latest-attempt-to-regain-rosetta-stone-work
Antiquities minister axes planned King Tut mummy move
http://thecairopost.com/news/125847/travel-antiquities/antiquities-minister-axes-planned-king-tut-mummy-move
Newly recovered stolen Egyptian artifacts on display at Egyptian Museum
http://thecairopost.com/news/125929/travel-antiquities/newly-recovered-stolen-egyptian-artifacts-on-display-at-egyptian-museum
PER STOREMYR ARCHAEOLOGY & CONSERVATION
The first reported prehistoric grinding stone quarry in the Egyptian Sahara (new paper)
http://per-storemyr.net/2014/09/29/the-first-reported-prehistoric-grinding-stone-quarry-in-the-egyptian-sahara-new-paper/
Fire on the rocks! New paper on firesetting in ancient Egyptian stone quarrying
http://per-storemyr.net/2014/09/30/fire-on-the-rocks-new-paper-on-firesetting-in-ancient-egyptian-stone-quarrying/
ANCIENT AVARIS
Avaris Is Alive! – Research In The Area R/III At Tell El-Dab'a
http://ancientavaris.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/avaris-lebt-forschungen-im-areal-riii-in-tell-el-daba-avaris-is-alive-research-in-the-area-riii-at-tell-el-daba/
EES IMBABA SURVEY
Back to the Wadi Gamal terraces!
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/98413610806/back-to-the-wadi-gamal-terraces
The end of a long hot summer?
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/98746749106/the-end-of-a-long-hot-summer
THE ELOQUENT PEASANT
Treasures from Harageh Tomb 72 at National Museums Scotland
http://www.eloquentpeasant.com/2014/09/26/treasures-from-harageh-tomb-72-at-national-museums-scotland/
ANSAMED
Italian-Spanish archeologists to launch dig into Luxor tomb
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/italy/2014/09/26/italian-spanish-archeologists-to-launch-dig-into-luxor-tomb_84835fad-db48-412a-baf2-51a4fc8cbe2e.html?idPhoto=1
AL-AHRAM WEEKLY
By Nevine El-Aref:
Al-Alamein site to re-open
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7313/47/Al-Alamein-site-to-re-open.aspx
LIVESCIENCE
By Bahar Gholipour:
Egyptian Mummy's Brain Imprint Preserved in 'Peculiar' Case
http://www.livescience.com/48042-ancient-mummy-brain-vessels.html
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
The British Museum: Ancient Egypt and Sudan Library Acquisitions Lists
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/09/the-british-museum-ancient-egypt-and.html
Wilkinson Egyptology Series Online
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/09/wilkinson-egyptology-series-online.html
Egyptology Books and Articles in PDF Online
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2013/12/egyptology-books-and-articles-in-pdf.html
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
More on Madame Rubinstein
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/09/24/more-on-madame-rubinstein/
EGYPTIANS
New post by Timothy Reid:
Gods and Myths of Ancient Egypt
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/09/gods-and-myths-of-ancient-egypt.html
MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO
The Ancient Egyptian Dead Breathes Thanks to “The Hand in the Mouth”.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/ancient-egyptian-dead-breathes-thanks-hand-mouth
AHRAM ONLINE
New discovery: Hair extensions are as old as ancient Egyptians
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/111606/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/New-discovery-Hair-extensions-are-as-old-as-ancien.aspx
Egypt's archaeological sites free for two days
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/111796/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Egypts-archaeological-sites-free-for-two-days.aspx
AERA
By Mahmoud Nour-Eldin Mohammed, Illustration trainee:
Special guest
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/special-guest/
By Dr. Giulio Lucarini, University of Cambridge, UK:
Making flour…and not only
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/making-flour-and-not-only/
DAILY NEWS EGYPT
Abu Simbel Antiquities celebrates 46 years since temple’s rescue
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/09/24/abu-simbel-antiquities-celebrates-46-years-since-temples-rescue-2/
CALGARY SSEA
Lecture: The End of the 19th Dynasty and the 20th Dynasty
Date: 7:30 – 9:00 pm, 03-Oct-2014
Continuing our series on an overview of Egyptian history, the Calgary SSEA is proud to present a talk on the end of the 19th Dynasty and the 20th Dynasty. With the passing of Ramesses II, Egypt appears to experienced some turmoil. The royal succession was contested in the Theban area with Sety II in the North and Amenmesse in the South. Exactly how this conflict played out is hotly debated in Egyptology. What is clear is that the 19th Dynasty ended with a new Dynasty in control. Far from being a stable era, the 20th Dynasty kings had to contend with a fluctuating Nile, economic pressures and the threat of the Sea Peoples and Libyans attempting to make their way into Egypt.
http://www.calgaryssea.ca/2014/09/17/lecture-the-end-of-the-19th-dynasty-and-the-20th-dynasty/
EGYPT EXPLORATION SOCIETY
The Loss of Antiquities from Public Collections
http://www.ees.ac.uk/userfiles/file/Petrie%20Mus_EES%20The%20Loss%20of%20Antiquities%20from%20Public%20Collections(1).pdf
ACROSSBORDERS
By Arvi Korhonen:
“Groovy” stone objects from Pharaonic settlements
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/groovy-stone-objects-from-pharaonic-settlements/
AMARNA PROJECT
Amarna Project receives NEH grant
http://amarna-project.blogspot.nl/2014/09/amarna-project-receives-neh-grant.html
EL KURRU: A ROYAL CITY OF ANCIENT KUSH
The National Geographic film that will include footage of our season will be broadcast on PBS stations here in the United States beginning on October 1. Check local listings for "Black Pharaohs". DVDs will be available through National Geographic after that, and I assume the program will also be available for streaming, but that remains to be seen.
http://elkurrukush.blogspot.nl/2014/09/the-national-geographic-film-that-will.html
THE CAIRO POST
Free admission to museums and sites on World Tourism Day
http://thecairopost.com/news/125656/travel-antiquities/free-admission-to-museums-and-sites-on-world-tourism-day-damaty
Hibis Temple to be reopened for public in November
http://thecairopost.com/news/125720/travel-antiquities/hibis-temple-to-be-reopened-for-public-in-november-damaty
UNESCO seeks truth about alleged improper Step Pyramid renovation
http://thecairopost.com/news/125783/travel-antiquities/unesco-seeks-truth-about-alleged-improper-step-pyramid-renovation
Will Egypt’s latest attempt to regain Rosetta Stone work?
http://thecairopost.com/news/125826/travel-antiquities/will-egypts-latest-attempt-to-regain-rosetta-stone-work
Antiquities minister axes planned King Tut mummy move
http://thecairopost.com/news/125847/travel-antiquities/antiquities-minister-axes-planned-king-tut-mummy-move
Newly recovered stolen Egyptian artifacts on display at Egyptian Museum
http://thecairopost.com/news/125929/travel-antiquities/newly-recovered-stolen-egyptian-artifacts-on-display-at-egyptian-museum
PER STOREMYR ARCHAEOLOGY & CONSERVATION
The first reported prehistoric grinding stone quarry in the Egyptian Sahara (new paper)
http://per-storemyr.net/2014/09/29/the-first-reported-prehistoric-grinding-stone-quarry-in-the-egyptian-sahara-new-paper/
Fire on the rocks! New paper on firesetting in ancient Egyptian stone quarrying
http://per-storemyr.net/2014/09/30/fire-on-the-rocks-new-paper-on-firesetting-in-ancient-egyptian-stone-quarrying/
ANCIENT AVARIS
Avaris Is Alive! – Research In The Area R/III At Tell El-Dab'a
http://ancientavaris.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/avaris-lebt-forschungen-im-areal-riii-in-tell-el-daba-avaris-is-alive-research-in-the-area-riii-at-tell-el-daba/
EES IMBABA SURVEY
Back to the Wadi Gamal terraces!
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/98413610806/back-to-the-wadi-gamal-terraces
The end of a long hot summer?
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/98746749106/the-end-of-a-long-hot-summer
THE ELOQUENT PEASANT
Treasures from Harageh Tomb 72 at National Museums Scotland
http://www.eloquentpeasant.com/2014/09/26/treasures-from-harageh-tomb-72-at-national-museums-scotland/
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