Ancient Egyptian brewery found in downtown Tel Aviv

Potsherds used for producing beer discovered at site believed to be northernmost Egyptian settlement in Early Bronze Age, 5,000 years ago

By Ilan Ben Zion

Nothing beats a cold one on a hot Tel Aviv summer evening, a sentiment it seems was shared by the ancient Egyptians.

Archaeological excavations at a construction site in the White City found remains of a 5,000-year-old brewery belonging to a Bronze Age Egyptian settlement, Israel’s Antiquities Authority announced Sunday.

The site, located in the heart of Tel Aviv, is the northernmost Egyptian site from the Early Bronze Age.

It was excavated by IAA archaeologists as part of a salvage dig before the construction of a new tower on Hamasger Street.

The excavation also yielded 6,000-year-old artifacts, including a bronze dagger and flint tools.

“We found seventeen pits in the excavations, which were used to store agricultural produce in the Early Bronze Age I (3500-3000-BCE),” dig director Diego Barkan said in a statement.

“Among the hundreds of pottery sherds that characterize the local culture, a number of fragments of large ceramic basins were discovered that were made in an Egyptian tradition and were used to prepare beer.”

Beer was a staple of the ancient Egyptian diet, a convenient means of converting grains into storable calories, and the alcohol content, while low, made contaminated water potable. “The Egyptians drank beer morning, noon and night,” said Barkan.

Workers building the Pyramids at Giza were given a daily ration of several liters of beer each day in addition to bread.

The ancients praised its value, as one inscription from the third millennium BCE stated: “The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer.”

The beer vessels, Barkan said, were made in a fashion not usual in the local ceramic industry, and of a type similar to those found at an Egyptian administrative building at ‘En Besor, in the northwestern Negev Desert. He said that the excavation was the first evidence of Egyptian presence from the Early Bronze Age in what’s today Tel Aviv.

“Until now we were only aware of an Egyptian presence in the northern Negev and southern coastal plain, whereby the northernmost point of Egyptian occupation occurred in Azor,” Barkan said.

“Now we know that they also appreciated what the Tel Aviv region had to offer and that they too knew how to enjoy a glass of beer, just as Tel Avivians do today.”

Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-egyptian-brewery-found-in-downtown-tel-aviv/

Ancient Egyptian skeleton shows signs of breast cancer

By Elahe Izadi

Researchers working in Egypt say they have found the oldest example of breast cancer in the 4,200-year-old remains of an Egyptian woman — a discovery that casts further doubt on the common perception of cancer as a modern disease associated with today's lifestyles.

This evidence, reported by the news agency Reuters, comes a year after another team announced its own discovery farther south in the Nile Valley. Those archaeologists had examined a 3,000-year-old skeleton that a Durham University researcher found in modern-day Sudan and said it was the oldest complete example of a human suffering from metastatic cancer.

They published their findings last year in the journal PLoS ONE, writing that cancer's relative absence in the archaeological record had given "rise to the conclusion that the disease is mainly a product of modern living and increased longevity."

The newest ancient example of cancer, discovered by an anthropological team from Spain's University of Jaen, was found in the bones of a woman thought to have been an aristocrat from southern Egypt, Reuters reported.

"The study of her remains shows the typical destructive damage provoked by the extension of a breast cancer as a metastasis," Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said in a statement on Tuesday, Reuters reported. He added that the woman's bones showed "an extraordinary deterioration."

Wednesday Weekly # 71

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

Brooklyn Museum

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Open Access Archives: Griffith Institute
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2009/10/open-access-archives-griffith-institute.html

CIPEG: International Committee for Egyptology in the International Council of Museums
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/03/cipeg-international-committee-for.html

MARÍA ROSA VALDESOGO

Young Girls with Common Mourners in Ancient Egypt.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/young-girls-with-common-mourners-in-ancient-egypt/

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

Wilfred/a’s many mysteries
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/03/23/wilfredas-many-mysteries/

EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA

Sekhmet and the Theosophical Society
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/03/sekhmet-and-theosophical-society.html

Shsh....secrets (Harpocrates and initiation rituals!)
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/03/shshsecrets-harpocrates-and-initiation.html

An unusual souvenir?
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/03/an-unusual-souvenir.html

EGYPT AT THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM

Botany in Ancient Egypt – Part 1
https://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/botany-in-ancient-egypt-part-1/

Botany in Ancient Egypt – Part 2
https://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/botany-in-ancient-egypt-part-2/

AHRAM ONLINE

Two sections of Sphinxes Avenue in Luxor to open
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/125793/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Two-sections-of-Sphinxes-Avenue-in-Luxor-to-open.aspx

AERA

What is behind the bones…
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/what-is-behind-the-bones/

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

Luxor tombs found
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/10755/47/Luxor-tombs-found.aspx

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

Akhu ‘Spirits’ in the Coffin Texts
http://www.demonthings.com/akhu-spirits-in-the-coffin-texts/

Demon Database presentation at Berkeley
http://www.demonthings.com/demon-database-berkeley/

EES DELTA SURVEY

Ovens and beads
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/114043425828/ovens-and-beads

Pots, pumice and puppies!
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/114216228963/pots-pumice-and-puppies

Last day on site
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/114395240773/last-day-on-site

BEYOND BONES

All Tied Up – A New Addition to the Hall of Ancient Egypt at HMNS
http://blog.hmns.org/2015/03/all-tied-up-a-new-addition-to-the-hall-of-ancient-egypt-at-hmns/

BROOKLYN MUSEUM

The secret life of books
http://brooklynmuseum.tumblr.com/post/114043358740/the-secret-life-of-books-in-the-wle-may-surprise

Happy #Caturday from the Brooklyn Museum
http://brooklynmuseum.tumblr.com/post/114230231575/happy-caturday-from-the-brooklyn-museum-this-is

HARMAKIS

Sections first and fifth Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor are to open Sunday after restoration
http://harmakis.net/en/archives/3578

April 1: countdown to the New Egyptian Museum of Turin
http://harmakis.net/en/archives/3581

DR ZAHI HAWASS

Evidence Of The Oldest Breast Cancer In The World Found In Egypt
http://www.drhawass.com/wp/evidence-of-the-oldest-breast-cancer-in-the-world-found-in-egypt/

NILE MAGAZINE

The Anonymous Sphinx
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/19/the-anonymous-sphinx

A Face from Egypt's Most Distant Past
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/20/a-face-from-egypts-most-distant-past

Ancient Egypt's Best-dressed Cats
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/22/ancient-egypts-best-dressed-cats

More of Luxor's Sphinx Avenue is Now Open
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/24/more-of-luxors-sphinx-avenue-is-now-open

EES MINUFIYEH SURVEY

Quesna: the Season Beginnings 16th-24th March 2015
http://minufiyeh.tumblr.com/post/114501426496/quesna-the-season-beginnings-16th-24th-march-2015

THE CAIRO POST

Egypt recovers smuggled artifacts from Germany
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/143181/culture/egypt-recovers-smuggled-artifacts-from-germany

Museum Pieces - Belt buckle inscribed for Nefertari

Belt buckle inscribed for Nefertari

Egyptian
1295–1186 B.C.

Findspot, Thebes, Egypt

DIMENSIONS
Height x width: 4.7 x 11.5 cm (1 7/8 x 4 1/2 in.)

ACCESSION NUMBER
04.1955

MEDIUM OR TECHNIQUE
Silver, gold, feldspar, carnelian, blue frit, glass

Inscribed for “the Osiris, great royal wife, his beloved, mistress of Lower Egypt.”

Provenance
Said to be from the Valley of the Queens (Thebes), Tomb of Queen Nefertari (QV 66). 1904: purchased for the MFA from Mohamed Mohassib, Luxor, Egypt by Albert M. Lythgoe as part of a group (04.1953-04.1956, 04.1766-04.1769) for £40. (Accession Date: January 1, 1904)

Credit Line
Emily Esther Sears Fund

Wednesday Weekly # 70

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

Nile Magazine

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Open Access Egyptological Publications of the Medelhavsmuseet
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/03/open-access-egyptological-publications.html

EGYPTIANS

Tutankhamun's Egypt
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2015/03/tutankhamuns-egypt.html

EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA

What have museums ever done for us?
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/03/what-have-museums-ever-done-for-us.html

DAILY MAIL ONLINE

Now THAT'S a heavy tax bill! Ancient Egyptian receipt suggests coins weighing 220lbs would have been needed to pay duty
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2997457/Now-S-heavy-tax-bill-Ancient-Egyptian-receipt-suggests-coins-weighing-220lbs-needed-pay-duty.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

LIVESCIENCE

Ancient Receipt Proves Egyptian Taxes Were Worse Than Yours
http://www.livescience.com/50139-ancient-egyptian-tax-receipt.html

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

Finding the missing pieces
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/10694/47/Finding-the-missing-pieces.aspx

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

First week
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2015/03/first-week.html

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY PROJECT

Clawed Ancient Egyptian Bes-image
http://www.demonthings.com/claws/

Coffin of Djehuty-nakht (B2Bo)
http://www.demonthings.com/coffin-of-djehuty-nakht-b2bo/

ACROSSBORDERS

End of excavation in the cemetery SAC5
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/end-of-excavation-in-the-cemetery-sac5/

AcrossBorders 2015: looking back at a fruitful season
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/acrossborders-2015-looking-back-at-a-fruitful-season/

THE ASOR BLOG

Inscribed Statue Bases from Ptolemaic Alexandria
http://asorblog.org/2015/02/27/inscribed-statue-bases-from-ptolemaic-alexandria/

AMARA WEST PROJECT BLOG

Amara West 2015: why work with our archaeological project?
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2015/03/16/amara-west-2015-why-work-with-our-archaeological-project/

THE ART NEWSPAPER

Better digs for Liverpool’s mummies
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Better-digs-for-Liverpools-mummies/37287

EES DELTA SURVEY

Normal weather resumed…
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/113342798753/normal-weather-resumed

End of our first week of work
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/113502816153/end-of-our-first-week-of-work

The size and importance of Tell Buweib
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/113693825483/the-size-and-importance-of-tell-buweib

New Kingdom settlement
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/113873408273/new-kingdom-settlement

SCIENCE & SCHOLARSHIP IN POLAND

Polish archaeologists in the forgotten capital of ancient Egypt
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news,404141,polish-archaeologists-in-the-forgotten-capital-of-ancient-egypt.html

MEDICINE AND MAGIC IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Karnak Temple of Khonsu
http://nefertotsie.blogspot.nl/2015/03/karnak-temple-of-khonsu.html

CAIRO POST

Ancient Egyptian capital Amarna mapped through satellite imagery system
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/141060/culture/ancient-egyptian-capital-amarna-mapped-through-satellite-imagery-system-2

3,000 year-old tomb of ancient Egyptian nobleman discovered in Luxor
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/141135/culture/3000-year-old-tomb-of-ancient-egyptian-nobleman-discovered-in-luxor

Taxes were a burden in ancient Egypt, too
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/141942/culture/taxes-were-a-burden-in-ancient-egypt-too

NICKY VAN DE BEEK

The stubborn travels of Alexine Tinne
http://nickyvandebeek.com/2015/03/the-stubborn-travels-of-alexine-tinne/

ANCIENT AVARIS

Burying The Dead In Avaris: Tombs From The Area R/IV
https://ancientavaris.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/burying-the-dead-in-avaris-tombs-from-the-area-riv/

BROOKLYN MUSEUM

Aida has been called the Opera of Operas
http://brooklynmuseum.tumblr.com/post/113426931324/aida-has-been-called-the-opera-of-operas-at-once

In ancient Egypt both men and women wore jewelry
http://brooklynmuseum.tumblr.com/post/113609206467/in-ancient-egypt-both-men-and-women-wore-jewelry

HARMAKIS

The tomb of King Tut
http://harmakis.net/en/archives/3572

DR ZAHI HAWASS

New Tombs Discovered In Luxor By The ARCE
http://www.drhawass.com/wp/new-tombs-discovered-in-luxor-by-the-arce/

NILE MAGAZINE

A City Vanishes
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/12/a-city-vanishes

When It Rains It Pours
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/11/when-it-rains-it-pours

A Pharaoh's Doomed Project Revealed
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/14/a-pharaohs-doomed-project-revealed

Open for business
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/15/open-for-business

A New Pyramid Discoverd
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/16/a-new-pyramid-discovered

UDEMY

BLUE: a symposium exploring aspects of life in ancient Egypt
https://www.udemy.com/bluesymposium/

PITT RIVERS MUSEUM

World Archaeology at the Pitt Rivers Museum: a characterization
http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/world.html

Finding the missing pieces

An important restoration of the colossal statue of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye has been made possible by the discovery of long-missing fragments, writes Zahi Hawass

In 1859, the Frenchman Auguste Mariette found a huge double statue of Amenhotep III and his favourite queen, Tiye. Mariette was the first director of antiquities in Egypt and “discovered” famous monuments like the Serapeum at Saqqara and the Valley Temple of Chephren at Giza.

 The statue was found at Medinet Habu, the great temple of Ramses III in western Thebes, near the Roman Court. But the statue originally stood at the great southern gate of the funerary temple of Amenhotep III at Kom Al-Hitan, to the east of Medinet Habu.

When the statue was discovered, many sections of the figures of the king and queen were missing and had to be restored by filling in the gaps. The restoration work was carried out at the turn of the last century, by an Italian artist and restorer. He clearly showed the difference between the original parts of the statue and the restored portions.

The statue is now housed in the Cairo Museum, at the end of the main hall on the ground floor. The king is shown seated, with his hands placed flat on his knees. Queen Tiye sits beside him, with one arm placed around the king’s waist. Between them is a small statue of one of their daughters, perhaps the one who married her brother Akhenaton and was the mother of Tutankhamun.

Polish archaeologists in the forgotten capital of ancient Egypt

The second season of fieldwork of the Polish archaeological project in Gebelein in southern Egypt has begun. The place was a very important centre in the history of ancient Egypt, but researchers still know little about it.

During last year's work, many monuments were discovered that allow scientists to fill blank spots in the history of the pharaohs. These include inscriptions, tombs of dignitaries and places of worship carved in the rocks.

A characteristic feature of the landscape in Gebelein are two limestone rocks that tower over the Nile and the surrounding desert.

"At the dawn of the history of ancient Egypt this was an administrative centre, very well positioned strategically and in terms of natural resources. There are signs that we are studying the capital of one of the proto-states, of which the Egyptian state emerged at the turn of the fourth and third millennia BC"- told PAP the project leader, Wojciech Ejsmond from the University of Warsaw.

This year's goal of the interdisciplinary research team is to continue the inventory of hundreds of tombs from different periods and document the inscriptions that cover the walls of rock shrines, discovered last year.

"This is a unique research material, shedding light on the religious beliefs and practices of ordinary people, as well as providing new information on cultural and religious policy of the Pharaohs" - emphasised Ejsmond.

According to the project leader, development and expansion of the network of contemporary fields and settlements threatens the monuments in Gebelein. Therefore, research is urgently needed to save as much as possible of the rich archaeological heritage of Egypt.

Wednesday Weekly # 69

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

Luxor Times

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

A closer look at one of our feathered friends
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/03/04/a-closer-look-at-one-of-our-feathered-friends/

In celebration of International Women’s Day
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/03/08/in-celebration-of-international-womens-day/

LUXOR TIMES

Dumped away: Bloc of a Ramesside statue was found in Akhmim
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2015/03/dumped-away-bloc-of-ramesside-statue.html

ARCE team is on fire. Second 18th Dynasty tomb to be discovered in a week
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2015/03/arce-team-is-on-fire-second-18th.html

EGYPTIANS

All Color Book of Egyptian Mythology
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2015/03/all-color-book-of-egyptian-mythology.html

MARÍA ROSA VALDESOGO

A New Ancient Egyptian Tomb with Typical Funerary Scene Discovered.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/new-ancient-egyptian-tomb-discovered/

EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA

Stereotypes of women in ancient Egypt. Gentle Bastet or aggressive Sekhmet?
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/03/stereotypes-of-women-in-ancient-egypt.html

AHRAM ONLINE

The layout of Al-Amarna ancient city revealed
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/124733/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/The-layout-of-AlAmarna-ancient-city-revealed.aspx

HERITAGE DAILY

Karnak Excavation Yields 38 Artifacts
http://www.heritagedaily.com/2015/03/karnak-excavation-yields-38-artifacts/106973

AERA

Sand Storm on Site
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/sand-storm-on-site/

Not Walking on Memphis but HeG
http://www.aeraweb.org/blog/not-walking-on-memphis-but-heg/

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Back for a new season!
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2015/03/back-for-new-season.html

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ANIMAL BIO BANK

Full Steam Ahead!
https://ancientegyptbiobank.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/full-steam-ahead/

PAST HORIZONS

Archaeologists excavate a cultic pit near temple of Ptah at Karnak
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/03/2015/archaeologists-excavate-a-cultic-pit-near-temple-of-ptah-at-karnak

ACROSSBORDERS

First finds in the shaft of tomb 26 at the end of week 9
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/first-finds-in-the-shaft-of-tomb-26-at-the-end-of-week-9/

Tracing Ramesside burials in SAC 5
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/tracing-ramesside-burials-in-sac-5/

AMARA WEST PROJECT BLOG

Amara West 2015: into the desert – a new perspective on cultural interaction?
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2015/03/05/amara-west-2015-into-the-desert-a-new-perspective-on-cultural-interaction/

Amara West 2015: new impressions
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2015/03/06/amara-west-2015-new-impressions/

Amara West 2015: end of excavations in the pyramid tombs
http://blog.amarawest.britishmuseum.org/2015/03/07/amara-west-2015-end-of-excavations-in-the-pyramid-tombs/

EES DELTA SURVEY

Start of 2015 season
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/112680841288/start-of-2015-season

Arrived at Tell Buweib
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/112787969168/arrived-at-tell-buweib

First day of site-work
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/112972632943/first-day-of-site-work

Plaster floor & pigeon-pots
http://deltasurvey.tumblr.com/post/113170224638/plaster-floor-pigeon-pots

BEYOND BONES

Chiddingstone Castle curator Maria Esain lays out her all-time favorite objects
http://blog.hmns.org/2015/03/chiddingstone-castle-curator-maria-esain-favorite-objects/

PENN MUSEUM BLOG

Ask Us Anything!
http://www.penn.museum/blog/collection/conservation/ask-us-anything/

CAIRO POST

3,400 year-old pharaonic ‘rest house’ unearthed nearby Suez Canal
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/140037/culture/3400-year-old-pharaonic-rest-house-unearthed-nearby-suez-canal

Cache of 38 ancient artifacts discovered in Karnak temple
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/140603/culture/cache-of-38-ancient-artifacts-discovered-in-karnak-temple

EES IMBADA SURVEY

Re-union in the Wadi Gamal Tuesday 3rd March 2015
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/112713789736/re-union-in-the-wadi-gamal-tuesday-3rd-march-2015

Cold winds in the Wadi Gamal Thursday 5th March 2015
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/112809007171/cold-winds-in-the-wadi-gamal-thursday-5th-march

Grids and the Wadi Gamal Thursday 5th March 2015
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/112993386511/grids-and-the-wadi-gamal-thursday-5th-march-2015

New arrivals Saturday 7th March 2015
http://imbaba.tumblr.com/post/113280101611/new-arrivals-saturday-7th-march-2015

HARMAKIS

Foundation MCR-Egypt: historic agreement
http://harmakis.net/en/archives/3553

Children in Egypt under the pharaohs
http://harmakis.net/en/archives/3557

Journalists they did spend a few hard days with early mornings and perfume mummy
http://harmakis.net/en/archives/3561

NILE MAGAZINE

New Tomb. Old Grudge.
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/5/new-tomb-old-grudge

On this day: Nefertiti and the Nazi's
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/6/on-this-day-nefertiti-and-the-nazis

Outsourcing: Egyptian Afterlife style
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/9/outsourcing-egyptian-afterlife-style

Mission Accomplished
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/3/10/mission-accomplished

LIVESCIENCE

Photos: Newfound Egyptian Tomb Has Colorful Murals of Man and Wife
http://www.livescience.com/50099-photos-colorful-egytian-tomb.html

UCL MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS BLOG

The Edwards Museum
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2015/03/04/the-edwards-museum/

The layout of Al-Amarna ancient city revealed

A Belgium archaeological mission reveals the layout of the ancient Egyptian city of Al-Amarna, the capital of the monotheistic king Akhenaten

by Nevine El-Aref , Sunday 8 Mar 2015

A Belgium archaeological mission working at Tel Al-Amarna area in Al-Minya governorate, 300 km south of Cairo, revealed through satellite imagery how the ancient Egyptians built such a historically controversial and mysterious city.

Tel Al-Amarna  was the short-lived capital built by the henotheistic 18th dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten after he abandoned the traditional Egyptian polytheism and introduced the worship of one deity, the power of the sun God- Aten.

The city was deserted shortly after Akhenaten's death in 1332 BCE.

Tel Al-Amarna is historically interesting as it remains the largest readily accessible site dating from ancient Egypt. It is thus simultaneously the key to a chapter in the history of religious experience and to a fuller understanding of what it was like to be an ancient Egyptian. 

Though long periods of excavation work have previously unearthed remains of temples, chapels and tombs, no one had uncovered the details of the city until this week when the Belgium archaeological mission revealed its layout.

Minister of antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty described the discovery as " great" and asserted that it will not only reveal how the ancient Egyptians built their monotheistic capital but it will also help in discovering more edifices of the city.

He explained that the satellite images show that the northern side of the city was an industrial province which extended 12 kilometres and also included a large collection of mines.

Harco Willems, head of the Belgium mission, told Ahram Online that their work succeeded in determining the location of several ancient corridors and roads of the ancient city which were too hard to discover through normal material used in excavation because the surface of the land is very solid.

Ramps and transportation paths from the mines to the city's main road were also discovered as well as others leading to the Nile Valley.

Willems said that a harbour was found close to the river. The harbour was constructed to transport Talatat blocks to the eastern side of Al-Amarna to be used in the construction of temples and other edifices.

Eldamaty told Ahram Online that more studies are now taking place in order to understand these images in more detail which could lead to further major discoveries in the future.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/124733/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/The-layout-of-AlAmarna-ancient-city-revealed.aspx

Museum Pieces - Lady Tjepu

Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

LADY TJEPU

One of the most remarkable paintings to survive from ancient Egypt, this depiction at the noblewoman Tjepu came from a tomb built for her son Nebamun and a man named lpuky. Egyptian artists usually did not depict individuals as they truly looked, but rather as eternally youthful, lavishly dressed, and in an attitude of repose.

Tjepu was about forty years old when this painting was executed, but she is shown in what was the height of youthful fashion during the reign of Amunhotep III: a perfumed cone on her heavy wig, a delicate side tress, and a semitransparent, fringed linen dress.

Medium: Limestone, gessoed and painted
Place Excavated: Thebes, Egypt
Dates: ca. 1390-1353 B.C.E.
Dynasty: XVIII Dynasty
Period: New Kingdom
Dimensions: 14 13/16 x 9 7/16 in. (37.6 x 24 cm)  (show scale)
Collections:Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
Accession Number: 65.197
Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Source: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/3743/Lady_Tjepu