Monday, December 29, 2014

The online battle for papyrus texts

Papyrus scrolls are also now increasingly desirable items in the distinctly 21st Century world of the online auction trade, writes Philip Sherwell

By Philip Sherwell, New York

They are tattered yellowing fragments of bygone civilisations, ancient manuscripts that open a remarkable window on previous millennia, including the earliest days of Christianity.
But papyrus scrolls are also now increasingly hot items in the distinctly 21st Century world of the online auction trade.
A rectangular scrap measuring about 4.5 inches by 1.5 inches and featuring 15 partial lines of Homer’s epic poem The Iliad in the elegant hand of a 4th Century Egyptian scribe was just [DEC] picked up by an unidentified European buyer for £16,000 after a feverish Internet auction battle.
That price was way above the posted estimated but is typical of the sums that collectors will now spend to lay their hands on these fingerprints from the past.
Indeed, it is not just modern art that has been setting jaw-dropping records at auction recently - so have ancient scrolls.
When a fragmentary parchment sheet from the 3rd century AD featuring portions of Paul’s epistle to the Romans was bought at Sotheby’s for £301,000 auctioneers and antiquity experts alike were stunned.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Museum Pieces - Model of Nubian Soldiers

Model of Nubian Soldiers

Photocredit: Museums for Intercultural Dialogue
datation: Early Middle Kingdom (11th Dynasty around 2055-1985 BC)
provenance: Asyut
area: Egypt
period: 3000-2000 BC
materials: Wood.

These small figurines of different sizes, wood stuccoed and painted, represent Nubian soldiers as if in a parade. They are fixed on a base composed of five boards joined by three cross boards below. This group was found in a tomb dated to the beginning of the Middle Kingdom in the necropolis of Asyut in Middle Egypt, accompanied by a second group representing a troop of Egyptian soldiers.

These objects are in fact what we call “models”, made to accompany the deceased in his/her trip to the afterlife. They probably belonged to the governor of the nome (province) that they call Nomarch, perhaps Mesehti, who lived during the late 11th Dynasty.

The black skinned figures, dressed in a red or white loincloth and wearing a necklace and hair band, are standing in a way which represents the march of the parade: the bare feet, with the left leg forward. The left arm is brought back to a right angle and holds a bow. The other arm is left dangling by the body with the hand holding a set of arrows. The squad consists of four lines of ten soldiers giving a total of forty soldiers.

In Pharaonic Egypt, from the earliest times, there existed a military organization consisting of both Egyptians and other ethnic groups such as Nubians. The Nubian and Medjay auxiliaries appeared in the Middle Kingdom. Some stelae testify that a garrison of Nubian and Medjay archers was established in the late 11th Dynasty at Gebelein in Upper Egypt. In this period, it was primarily the infantry of defeated soldiers who were enlisted in the Egyptian troops.

With the New Kingdom and expansive aims of Egypt the army became professionalized. The pharaoh, supreme commander of armies, was surrounded by important management personnel. Titles connected to the military were numerous; from scribe to chief of troop (so-called General).

The Old and Middle Kingdoms defended their borders and did not venture out much, except to Sinai and Nubia up to the Second Cataract. With the appearance of the horse, a new military unit was created: the chariot, which will have a big influence in conflicts starting from the New Kingdom, especially considering it was a period when ambitions for the Near East intensified. In this period, other ethnic groups from Libya and the Near East will be incorporated into the army. The foreign reinforcements in the army will be continued in future periods as pharaohs will not hesitate to call on foreign mercenaries from the Saite period and onwards: a practice which will become the norm in Antiquity from Hellenistic Greece to Rome.

Source: http://www.unesco.org/culture/museum-for-dialogue/item/en/70/model-of-nubian-soldiers

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Wednesday Weekly # 59

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

The Amun-Ra Egyptology Blog wishes you all happy holidays and a healthy and save 2015 with lots of Egyptology news!!



BBC NEWS

Egypt unveils renovated Tutankhamun gallery
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30493177

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Karnak (v 0.1.5): Projet d'index global des inscriptions des temples de Karnak
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2013/06/karnak-v-012-projet-dindex-global-des.html

Swiss Mummy Project
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/12/swiss-mummy-project.html

Egyptian Funerary Cones Wiki
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2011/01/egyptian-funerary-cones-wiki.html

New Open Access Monograph Series: Estudos de Egiptologia
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/12/new-open-access-monograph-series.html

EGYPTIANS

New post by Timothy Reid:

The Treasures of Tutankhamun
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/12/british-museum-exhibition-trustees-of.html

MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO

Isis in Ancient Egypt: A Winged Snake with Hathoric Crown.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/isis-ancient-egypt-winged-snake-hathoric-crown/

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

New post by Molly Gleeson:


Putting the finishing touches on the shabti box
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/12/15/putting-the-finishing-touches-on-the-shabti-box/

LUXOR TIMES

Karomama tomb discovered in the Ramesseum temple
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/12/karomama-tomb-discovered-in-ramesseum.html

Osiris statues unearthed in Karnak temple
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/12/osiris-statues-unearthed-in-karnak.html

Amenhotep III colossi at the Northern gate of his temple is finallyunveiled
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/12/amenhotep-iii-colossi-at-northern-gate_14.html

AHRAM ONLINE

Recent Luxor discoveries include tomb inside Ramesseum 
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/117752/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Recent-Luxor-discoveries-include-tomb-inside-Rames.aspx

DAILY MAIL

Amenhotep III rises again: Colossal statue of the Egyptian king is restored 3,200 years after its collapse in an earthquake
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2873578/Colossal-statue-Amenhotep-III-unveiled-Egypt.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

ACROSSBORDERS

By Julia Budka:

Kick-off: Year 3 and new perspectives in micro- and geoarchaeology
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/kick-off-year-3-and-new-perspectives-in-micro-and-geoarchaeology/

By Jördis Vieth:

Update of the research on the so-called temple towns in New Kingdom Nubia
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/update-of-the-research-on-the-so-called-temple-towns-in-new-kingdom-nubia/

KELSEY MUSEUM

Using UV Light to Examine Ancient Paint
https://kelseymuseum.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/using-uv-light-to-examine-ancient-paint/

THE CAIRO POST

Photo exhibition of Queen Nefertari’s tomb inaugurated in the Egyptian museum
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/130625/travel-antiquities/photo-exhibition-of-queen-nefertaris-tomb-inaugurated-in-the-egyptian-museum

Tomb of “divine wife of God Amun” unearthed in Luxor
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/130696/travel-antiquities/tomb-of-divine-wife-of-god-amun-unearthed-in-luxor

2,500 year-old bronze statues of Osiris unearthed in Karnak temple
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/130704/inside_egypt/2500-year-old-bronze-statues-of-osiris-unearthed-in-karnak-temple

EGYPT INDEPENDENT

Colossal statue of Amenhotep III unveiled in Egypt
http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/colossal-statue-amenhotep-iii-unveiled-egypt

Egypt unveils renovated Tutankhamun gallery
http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/egypt-unveils-renovated-tutankhamun-gallery

LIVESCIENCE

Million-Mummy Cemetery Unearthed in Egypt
http://www.livescience.com/49147-egyptian-cemetery-million-mummies.html

Photos: Ancient Egyptian Cemetery with 1 Million Mummies
http://www.livescience.com/49144-million-mummy-cemetery-photos.html

Monday, December 15, 2014

The perks of being an Egyptologist in Luxor

By Edu Marin

Luxor, Egypt, Dec 12 (EFE).- At five o'clock in the morning, the Egyptian city of Luxor wakes up to the sound of Muslim prayer and the braying of donkeys. At that same time, Spanish Egyptologist Milagros Alvarez Sosa and her team begin to prepare for a 3,500-year journey backwards in time to the Pharaonic era.

Alvarez preps for her archaeological expedition by donning a shirt, hiking boots, red hat and sunglasses. She sips at her coffee, as breakfast won't be until considerably later on.

"Sometimes we feel more like farmers than Egyptologists, because Luxor is another world," Alvarez tells Efe, referring to the Min Project, conducted in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. The site includes the tomb of Min, who was a tutor to the Pharaoh Amenhotep II (1427-1401 BC).

Luxor is at the epicenter of modern Egyptology: time does not only stand still in the Theban necropolis, where most of the archeological treasures are concentrated, but also in the city itself.

"Animals are an important part of life in Luxor. It is a very rural area," Italian archeologist Irene Morfini tells Efe. Morfini recalls how she had to wait many times for the female donkey to breastfeed her baby while on their way to the tomb of Min.

It was during the reign of Thutmose III (1490-1436 BC) when Min tutored the young prince and future pharaoh, Amenhotep II, teaching him the essential skills of the era, such as archery.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Museum Pieces - Diorite bust of Horemheb

Photocredit: Nicholson Museum

Diorite bust of Horemheb

Collection: Nicholson Museum: Stone Artefacts, Ancient Egyptian
Object Category: Sculpture - Bust
Name/Title: Fragmentary statue of the pharaoh Horemheb as a kneeling scribe
Media: Stone - diorite
Measurements: 45.5 h/l x 40.0 w x 26.0 d cm, 147 kg
Acquisition Credit Line: Donated by Sir Charles Nicholson 1860
Museum Number: NMR. 1138

Production:

Place: Ptah Temple, Memphis, Egypt
Date: 1330-1320 BC

Description:

The figure wears a very fine garment with pleated sleeves and collar at base of the throat. Almost certainly Horemheb from his pre royal career.

History Notes:

Description and Function (Author: Dr Sophie Winlaw)

There are no inscriptions on the surviving section of this statue (including the narrow back pillar - an area which is usually inscribed with the subject's name). However, the identity of this individual can be determined through an examination of his facial features, the distinctive style of sculpture, the clothing and the wig. The long unstructured wavy wig is commonly worn by scribes who are usually represented in statuary as seated figures with crossed legs and in many cases papyrus scrolls on their laps (the fold of skin of our piece below the breast is suggestive of either a seated or squatting figure).

Scribes form a well respected professional class who are literate - unlike the majority of ancient Egyptians - so for this man to be represented as a scribe it reflects his high social status. This is also reflected by the style of wig and the garment he wears - types which were worn by high officials of the late 18th and early 19th dynasties (1550-1213 BC). Scribes are also protected by the god Thoth - the ibis headed god of writing and knowledge.

Many of the scribal statues depict the subject as being bare-chested but in this case he wears a distinctive type of robe which is draped loosely over his upper arms. The facial features are very distinctive, especially the shape of the eyes and the fullness around the jaw line and cheeks (representative of the Amarna Period). This statue has been carved, smoothed and polished with great precision and there would have been few officials who could have afforded a statue of this quality.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

New discoveries at Luxor

By Rany Mostafa:

Tomb of “divine wife of God Amun” unearthed in Luxor

CAIRO: The tomb of “the divine wife of God Amun,” an ancient Egyptian title given only to royal wives, has been discovered at the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramses II in the west bank of Luxor, according to Abdel-Hakim Karar, director of the Upper Egypt Antiquities Department, Thursday.

“The tomb is relatively small with a stone door leading to a 5-meter shaft and a burial chamber, where funerary equipments, offerings and 20 well-preserved statuettes were found,” Karar told The Cairo Post Thursday.

The statuettes, found by the tomb’s entrance, bore the name of  “Karomama” and hieroglyphic inscriptions describe her as “the earthly spouse of the god Amun,” and we believe she may have been the wife of the 22nd Dynasty’s Pharaoh Osorkon II (872B.C–837B.C.,) said Karar.

The discovery was made by French-Egyptian mission led by Christian Leblanc, a French archaeologist, who has been excavating in the mortuary temple and the tomb of Ramses II since 1980s.

“The new discovery may not be spectacular from the artistic point of view, but due to the scarcity of Karomama’s artifacts that have been discovered so far, it is definitely a significant find as it sheds more light on her life,” Leblanc was quoted by the Pharaoh Magazine Thursday.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Wednesday Weekly # 58

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


THE HUFFINGTON POST


Egyptian Sarcophagus Opened To Reveal 2,500-Year-Old Mummified Remains Of 14-Year-Old Boy

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/12/08/egyptian-sarcophagus-opened_n_6288266.html?ncid=webmail5

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE


Open Access Journal: Sudan notes and records
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2009/10/open-access-journal-sudan-notes-and.html

Coptic Scriptorium
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/12/coptic-scriptorium.html

Open Access Publications of the Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten - Netherlands Institute for the Near East
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/01/open-access-oop-publications-of.html

The Xia Nai Index of Egyptian Beads in The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/12/the-xia-nai-index-of-egyptian-beads-in.html

LUXOR TIMES

Amon singer coffin discovered intact
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/12/amon-singer-coffin-was-discovered.html

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

New post by Molly Gleeson:

Wilfred or Wilfreda?
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2014/12/06/wilfred-or-wilfreda/

EGYPT AT THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM

Manchester TAG 2014 – Cataloguing Magic: Papers abstracts
https://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/manchester-tag-2014-cataloguing-magic-papers-abstracts/

MARIA ROSA VALDESOGO

Isis with Apis in Ancient Egypt Iconography.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/isis-apis-ancient-egypt-iconography/

AHRAM ONLINE

By Nevine El-Aref:

The sarcophagus of god Amun's singer unearthed
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/117458/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/The-sarcophagus-of-god-Amuns-singer-unearthed.aspx

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

Saving Khufu’s second boat
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7893/47/Saving-Khufu%E2%80%99s-second-boat.aspx

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Digital recording of and at Gebel el Silsila
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2014/12/digital-recording-of-and-at-gebel-el.html

THE GLEN DASH FOUNDATION BLOG

The Great Pyramid Diagonals: Do They Point to a Hidden, Inner Platform Within the Pyramid?
http://glendash.com/blog/2014/12/03/the-great-pyramid-diagonals-do-they-point-to-a-hidden-inner-platform-within-the-pyramid/

THE CAIRO POST

Sphinx unearthed at Karnak temple
http://thecairopost.com/news/130254/inside_egypt/sphinx-unearthed-at-karnak-temple

Ancient tomb of ancient Egyptian vizier in Luxor to be opened Dec 20
http://thecairopost.com/news/130334/editors-choice/ancient-tomb-of-ancient-egyptian-vizier-in-luxor-to-be-opened-dec-20

‘Pharaohs of Egypt’ exhibit extends run in Hungary
http://thecairopost.com/news/130371/travel-antiquities/pharaohs-of-egypt-exhibit-extends-run-in-hungary

3,000 yr-old masked mummy found intact in Luxor: official
http://thecairopost.com/news/130536/topnews/3000-yr-old-masked-mummy-found-intact-in-luxor-official

EGYPT INDEPENDENT

Chicago scientists open Egyptian mummy coffin
http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/chicago-scientists-open-egyptian-mummy-coffin

LIVESCIENCE

New post by Owen Jarus:

2,400-Year-Old Coffin's 'Odd' Art Hints at Ancient Egypt's Brain Drain
http://www.livescience.com/49059-ancient-egyptian-coffin-odd-art.html

In Photos: Ancient Egyptian Coffin with 'Odd' Art
http://www.livescience.com/48984-ancient-egyptian-coffin-photos.html

EUREKALERT

Mainz Egyptologist receives approval for long-term project on Egyptian cursive scripts
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-12/jgum-mer120314.php


Saturday, December 6, 2014

Saving Khufu’s second boat

A Japanese-Egyptian team is reconstructing Khufu’s second solar boat, 4,500 years after it was buried to ferry the pharaoh to eternity, writes Nevine El-Aref

The southern side of Khufu’s Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau is a hive of activity these days. Dozens of workers, Egyptologists and restorers are removing piece by piece the wooden beams of the pharaoh’s second solar boat, which has remained in situ for 4,500 years after it was buried to ferry him to eternity.
Restorers are cleaning the timber, oars and beams, while Egyptologists are busy documenting them in the laboratory recently established at the site to rescue the different parts of the boat.
The boat was discovered along with the first one inside two pits neighbouring each other in 1954, when Egyptian archaeologists Kamal Al-Mallakh and Zaki Nour were carrying out routine cleaning on the southern side of the Great Pyramid.
The first pit was found under a roof of 41 limestone slabs, each weighing almost 20 tons, with the three westernmost slabs being much smaller than the others leading them to be interpreted as keystones. On removing one of the slabs, Al-Mallakh and Nour saw a cedar boat, completely dismantled but arranged in the semblance of its finished form, inside the pit. Also inside were layers of mats, ropes, instruments made of flint, and some small pieces of white plaster, along with 12 oars, 58 poles, three cylindrical columns and five doors.
The boat was removed piece by piece under the supervision of restorer Ahmed Youssef, who spent more than 20 years restoring and reassembling the boat. The task resembled the fitting together of a giant jigsaw puzzle, and the completed boat is now on display at Khufu’s Solar Boat Museum on the Giza Plateau.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Wednesday Weekly # 57

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


THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Open Access Journal: Egypt Exploration Society Newsletter
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2009/12/open-access-newsletter-egypt.html

The Virtual Mummy: Unwrapping a Mummy by Mouse Click
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/11/the-virtual-mummy-unwrapping-mummy-by.html

The Reconstructed Chronology of the Egyptian Kings
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/12/the-reconstructed-chronology-of.html

EGYPTIANS

New blogpost by Timothy Reid:

The Highlites of 2014
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2014/12/the-highlites-of-2014.html

AHRAM ONLINE

239 artefacts to be returned to Egypt from France
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/116541/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/-artefacts-to-be-returned-to-Egypt-from-France.aspx

Mummy wearing gold jewellery unearthed in Egypt's Luxor
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/116533/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Mummy-wearing-gold-jewellery-unearthed-in-Egypts-L.aspx

Huy tomb open to public soon
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/116971/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Huy-tomb-open-to-public-soon.aspx

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

Searching for Sesostris
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7844/23/Searching-for-Sesostris.aspx

New Port Said Museum
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7805/47/New-Port-Said-Museum.aspx

Pyramid truth revealed
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/7804/47/Pyramid-truth-revealed.aspx

DAILY NEWS EGYPT

Conflict surrounds Khufu Cartouche sentence
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/12/02/conflict-surrounds-khufu-cartouche-sentence/

THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST

Episode 40: Feasting, Laughing and Dancing

Interlude: Celebrating the Divine.
http://egyptianhistorypodcast.com/episode-40-feasting-laughing-and-dancing

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Sherdy Season
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2014/11/sherdy-season.html

THE ASOR BLOG

By: Ashley Fiutko Arico, The Johns Hopkins University, George A. Barton Fellow

The Context of Ancient Egyptian Statuary in the Levant
http://asorblog.org/the-context-of-ancient-egyptian-statuary-in-the-levant/

KELSEY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

My Favorite Artifact

Favorite Artifact: Hawk Mummy. Ptolemaic Period (332 BC–AD 100). Egypt (Bayview Collection). KM 1971.2.182
https://kelseymuseum.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/my-favorite-artifact-4/

GARSTANG MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Ancient Egypt In Focus: The Photographic Archives Of John Garstang
https://garstangmuseum.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/ancient-egypt-in-focus-the-photographic-archives-of-john-garstang/

THE CAIRO POST

239 smuggled Egyptian artifacts retrieved from France
http://thecairopost.com/news/129749/travel-antiquities/239-smuggled-egyptian-artifacts-retrieved-from-france

US approves Egyptian request to impose restrictions on smuggled antiquities
http://thecairopost.com/news/129761/travel-antiquities/u-s-approves-egypts-request-to-impose-restrictions-on-smuggled-antiquities

PAIDES

Uptown Girls in Roman Oxyrhynchos?
http://paidesblog.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/being-a-girl-in-roman-oxyrhynchos/