Sunday, June 28, 2015

Museum Pieces - Tomb Relief

Tomb relief with an inscription in raised relief: rp´ h3tj-´ (sd3wtj) bjtj.

Photocredit: Medelhavsmuseet 2013
 
Titles and status were important. This relief fragment tells that the tomb owner was a nobleman, a member of the elite and a governor. The bee at the bottom of the column hints at a connection with the king, which was very prestigious.

Photocredit: Medelhavsmuseet 2013

Inventory number: MM 11433
Object: Relief
Material: Limestone; Stone
Period: 25th Dynasty (c.735-656 BC), Late Period
Dimensions: H. 36,5 cm, W. 25 cm, D. 4 cm

The ancient Egyptian Bee (hieroglyph), Gardiner sign listed no. L2, is the representation of a honeybee. The bee figures prominently throughout Ancient Egyptian history, and started in the early Protodynastic Period, for example with Pharaoh Den. His timeperiod famously produced 20 tomb-labels (tags) that recorded events, and told short stories, with the first use of hieroglyphs, that by 2900 BC time had included biliterals, some triliterals, and the Egyptian hieroglyphic uniliterals.

The form of the bee on Den's labels, and others in the timeperiod (Semerkhet), show similar form, a flying bee, at an angle. The later forms are more "horizontal, wings outspread".
 
The bee became the symbol for "King of the North" (the Nile Delta (Lower Egypt), and northern Egypt); the sedge (hieroglyph)
M23
represented the opposite: the "King of the South" (the King of Upper Egypt). A combined form also came to be used: the "King of the South & and the King of the North".
M23
X1
L2
X1

Sources:
http://collections.smvk.se/carlotta-mhm/web/object/3013029
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_(hieroglyph)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Wednesday Weekly # 84

Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
 
Gebel el Silsila Survey Project 2015
 
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE
 
Open Access Journal: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/06/open-access-journal-journal-of-egyptian.html
 
EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA
 
Bits and bobs from Amarna - excavating in the stores
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/06/bits-and-bobs-from-amarna-excavating-in.html
 
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
 
We love ugly objects too!
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/06/20/we-love-ugly-objects-too/
 
EGYPTIANS
 
Ancient Egypt As It Was
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2015/06/ancient-egypt-as-it-was.html
 
ACROSSBORDERS
 
“Home Away From Home” – Back At The “Atominstitut”
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/home-away-from-home-back-at-the-atominstitut/
 
WHAT'S NEW IN PAPYROLOGY
 
CONFERENCE: Egyptian and Jewish Magic in Antiquity, 5-9 July 2015 (BONN)
http://papyrology.blogspot.nl/2015/06/conference-egyptian-and-jewish-magic-in.html
 
ANCIENT ORIGINS
 
Superweapon of the Ancient World: A History of Chariots - Part Ihttp://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/superweapon-ancient-world-history-chariots-part-i-003254
 
EGYPT EXPLORATION SOCIETY
 
New archive online
http://ees.ac.uk/news/index.html
 
GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT
 
Digital documentation of the Speos at Silsila
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2015/06/digital-documentation-of-speos-at.html
 
AHRAM ONLINE

Thirty wooden beams of Khufu's second solar boat arrive to the GEM
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/133281/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Thirty-wooden-beams-of-Khufus-second-solar-boat-ar.aspx
 
Restoration of Tutankhamun's funerary mask to start in August
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/133520/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Restoration-of-Tutankhamuns-funerary-mask-to-start.aspx
 
NICKY VAN DE BEEK

Mrs. Tsenhor
http://nickyvandebeek.com/2015/06/mrs-tsenhor/

NILE MAGAZINE

A treasured heirloom
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/17/a-treasured-heirloom

Boy. Rebel. King.
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/19/boy-rebel-king

The day the sun stands still
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/21/the-day-the-sun-stands-still

A heart-warming scene, literally
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/featured-post/2015/6/22/a-heart-warming-scene-literally

LIVESCIENCE

8 Million Dog Mummies Found in 'God of Death' Mass Grave
http://www.livescience.com/51232-millions-of-dog-mummies-found.html

Photos: Canine Catacomb Was Tribute to Ancient Death God
http://www.livescience.com/51228-photos-egyptian-dog-catacombs.html

Thursday, June 18, 2015

8 Million Dog Mummies Found in 'God of Death' Mass Grave

by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer
 
In ancient Egypt, so many people worshiped Anubis, the jackal-headed god of death, that the catacombs next to his sacred temple once held nearly 8 million mummified puppies and grown dogs, a new study finds.

The catacomb ceiling also contains the fossil of an ancient sea monster, a marine vertebrate that's more than 48 million years old, but it's unclear whether the Egyptians noticed the existence of the fossil when they built the tomb for the canine mummies, the researchers said.

Many of the mummies have since disintegrated or been disrupted by grave robbers and industrialists, who likely used the mummies for fertilizer. Even so, archaeologists have found enough evidence to suggest that the Anubis animal cult was a large part of the ancient Egyptian economy.
 
Ancient Egyptians built the temple and catacomb in honor of Anubis in Saqqara, a burial ground in the country's ancient capital of Memphis. Archaeologists have also found catacombs with the mummified remains of such other animals as the ibis (long-legged birds), hawk, baboon and bull, suggesting the ancient Egyptians also worshipped other animal gods.

"When you go to Saqqara now, you see an area of attractive desert with the pyramids sticking up and one or two of the prominent monuments" associated with animal cults, said the study's lead researcher, Paul Nicholson, a professor of archaeology at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom.
 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Wednesday Weekly # 83

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

 


Nile Magazine
 
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 373, May 2015 available without charge, for a limited time
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/06/bulletin-of-american-schools-of.html
 
MARÍA ROSA VALDESOGO
 
Two Professional Mourning Men in Ancient Egypt?
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/two-professional-mourning-men-ancient-egypt/
 
IN THE ARTIFACT LAB
 
Observations of a stola coffin lid
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/06/13/observations-of-a-stola-coffin-lid/
 
LUXOR TIMES
 
Happening Now: Minister of Antiquities "Valley of the Kings will be open at night in July"
http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/#!/2015/06/happening-now-minister-of-antiquities.html

EGYPT CENTRE, SWANSEA

Faience fish dishes: Cosmetic palettes, tableware, or something else?
http://egyptcentre.blogspot.nl/2015/06/faience-fish-dishes-cosmetic-palettes.html

AL-AHRAM WEEKLY

26th Dynasty tombs uncovered in Aswan
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12487/47/--th-Dynasty-tombs-uncovered-in-Aswan.aspx

LEIDEN UNIVERSITY

Thu-Sat 18-20 June 2015 | Egypt Connected: Cultural, Economic, Political and Military Interactions (500-1000 CE) | Leiden University

From Thursday 18 until Saturday 20 June the conference entitled "Egypt Connected: Cultural, Economic, Political and Military Interactions (500-1000 CE)" will take place at Lipsius 227 (Cleveringaplaats 1) at Leiden University.

The conference addresses from different disciplinary and chronological perspectives the political, economic, and cultural networks of which Egypt was part in the late Roman and early Islamic period (c. 500-1000 C.E.).
http://www.hum.leidenuniv.nl/lucis/events/egypt-connected.html

ANCIENT ORIGINS

Six tombs containing mummies belonging to elite figures of 26th Dynasty unearthed in Egypt
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/six-tombs-containing-mummies-belonging-elite-figures-26th-dynasty-020387

Mummifying Millions: Operation of the Animal Cult Industry of Ancient Egypt
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/mummifying-millions-operation-animal-cult-industry-ancient-egypt-003206

False Doors: The Gateways to the Egyptian Underworld
http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/false-doors-gateways-egyptian-underworld-003214

Tomb Curses of Ancient Egypt: Magical Incantations of the Dead
http://www.ancient-origins.net/history/tomb-curses-ancient-egypt-magical-incantations-dead-003228

Foundation Rituals of Ancient Egypt: Elaborate Rites Conducted to Protect Great Monuments
http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-africa/foundation-rituals-ancient-egypt-elaborate-rites-conducted-protect-great-020397

Searching for the Lost Tomb of Antony and Cleopatra
http://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/searching-lost-tomb-antony-and-cleopatra-003239

THE CAIRO POST

Antiquities Minister inaugurates lighting project at Luxor west bank
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/155300/culture/antiquities-minister-inaugurates-lighting-project-at-luxor-west-bank

Egypt recovers 2,700-year-old statue from auction house in Germany
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/155390/topnews/egypt-recovers-2700-year-old-statue-from-auction-house-in-germany

DR. ZAHI HAWASS

Zahi Hawass lectures on 23 June at the Abusir and Saqqara 2015 Conference in Prague
http://www.drhawass.com/wp/zahi-hawass-lectures-on-23-june-at-the-abusir-and-saqqara-2015-conference-in-prague/

A wonderful evening for “The legend of Tutankhamun”
http://www.drhawass.com/wp/a-wonderful-evening-for-the-legend-of-tutankhamun/

HARMAKIS

Zahi Hawass - Egypt is Safe
http://harmakis.net/archives/3642

AHRAM ONLINE

Terrorist attack in Luxor's Karnak did not affect temple: Official
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/132434/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Terrorist-attack-in-Luxors-Karnak-did-not-affect-t.aspx

Unique stolen ancient Egyptian statue to return from Germany soon
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/132755/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Unique-stolen-ancient-Egyptian-statue-to-return-fr.aspx

The NMEC receives its first batch of artefacts
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/132672/Heritage/Museums/The-NMEC-receives-its-first-batch-of-artefacts.aspx

KELSEY MUSEUM

Ugly Object of the Month

BY SUZANNE DAVIS, Curator for Conservation, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
Beauty isn’t everything at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology; we value all evidence of life in the ancient world, even when the object is, erm, ugly. This month’s ugly object is an Aphrodite figurine made from copper alloy (aka bronze).
https://kelseymuseum.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/ugly-object-of-the-month/

NILE MAGAZINE

Times (should) have changed
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/10/times-should-have-changed

The burning question after the Karnak Attack
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/13/the-burning-question-after-the-karnak-attack

The Valley of the Kings Opening at Night
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/14/the-valley-of-the-kings-opening-at-night

Luxor Temple Opening Even Later
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/15/luxor-temple-opening-even-later


Sunday, June 14, 2015

Museum Pieces - Sunk Relief Representation of Ptolemy II

Sunk Relief Representation of Ptolemy II


Although the Ptolemaic Period ushered in a long period of foreign rule, the Macedonian kings of that dynasty did not interfere with the Egyptian artistic traditions of the preceding three milennia. Ptolemy II Philadelphos, like his father Ptolemy I Soter, the founder of the dynasty, continued the practice of building and decorating temples in traditional Egyptian fashion.
While this is not to say that the Macedonian rulers did not have Greek artists portray them according to Greek artistic conventions, here the Greek ruler is shown in a purely Egyptian guise, wearing the traditional nemes-headdress of the pharaoh. The style of the relief, including the deeply cut navel, the horizontal treatment of the torso muscles, the "golf ball" chin, and the upturned smile, is common in representations from Dynasties XXIX and XXX (circa 399–342 B.C.) and was readily adopted by the Ptolemies into their iconographic program. Visible behind the king is the figure of a goddess in another scene.
Medium: Granite
Place Made: Behbeit el Higra, Egypt
Dates: 285 or 282-246 B.C.E.
Period: Ptolemaic Period
Dimensions: 27 3/16 x 23 5/8 x 2 3/8 in. (69 x 60 x 6 cm) (show scale)
Accession Number: 72.127
Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Rights Statement: Creative Commons-BY

Saturday, June 13, 2015

26th Dynasty tombs uncovered in Aswan

Six ancient Egyptian tombs, from the 26th Dynasty, have been discovered by an Egyptian archaeological mission. The tombs are located beside the Aga Khan Mausoleum on Aswan’s west bank.


Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh Eldamaty described the discovery as “important” because it is the first time tombs from the Late Pharaonic period have been found in the area. All the tombs previously discovered have been dated to the Old and Middle Kingdoms.

“With this tomb collection the ancient Egyptian necropolis in Aswan is complete,” Eldamaty said. He added that a collection of limestone and wooden sarcophagi was found with the mummies of the deceased.

Faience statuettes of the four sons of the god Horus and wooden statuettes of the falcon god himself were also unearthed, along with amulets of different shapes, sizes and colours.

Nasr Salama, director-general of Aswan Antiquities, said that each tomb contains a 30-step stairway leading to the main entrance. The tombs are divided into three or four undecorated rooms, he said.

Mostafa Khalil, the head of the archaeological mission, said the architectural style of the tombs is consistent with the 26th-Dynasty period, having been excavated in the stony hillside rather than being rock-hewn.

Khalil said that the tombs were robbed in the aftermath of the 2011 Revolution, part of an upsurge in illegal excavations that occurred in the Aswan area during the security vacuum that followed the removal of president Hosni Mubarak.

Source:
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/12487/47/--th-Dynasty-tombs-uncovered-in-Aswan.aspx

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Wednesday Weekly # 82

Welcome to the Wednesday Weekly, your weekly dose of links to Egyptology news, articles, blogs, events and more!
Ahram Online
THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

Open Access Book from the Petrie Museum: The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology: Characters and Collections
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/05/open-access-book-from-petrie-museum.html

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

Wax on, wax off
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/06/06/wax-on-wax-off/

AHRAM ONLINE

Late period bronze artefacts are in GEM storage, not missing: Ministry
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/132094/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Late-period-bronze-artefacts-are-in-GEM-storage,-n.aspx

Large tranche of artefacts transferred to Egyptian Museum from Saqqara
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/44/132099/Heritage/Museums/Large-tranche-of-artefacts-transferred-to-Egyptian.aspx

Late period tombs uncovered on Aswan's west bank
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/132176/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Late-period-tombs-uncovered-on-Aswans-west-bank.aspx

UCL MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS BLOG

100 Years of the Petrie Museum
http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/museums/2015/06/09/100-years-of-the-petrie-museum/#more-41841

ACROSSBORDERS

“Settlement patterns in Egypt & Nubia”: Workshop in Munich, 29-30 June
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/settlement-patterns-in-egypt-nubia-workshop-in-munich-29-30-june/

SOUTH ASASIF CONSERVATION PROJECT BLOG

The Arrival of Samson
https://southasasif.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/the-arrival-of-samson/

BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY

Akhenaten and Moses
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/akhenaten-and-moses/

THE ELOQUENT PEASANT

Emojis vs. Hieroglyphs: why is ancient Egyptian writing still dismissed as primitive almost 200 years after its decipherment?
http://www.eloquentpeasant.com/2015/06/02/emojis-vs-hieroglyphs/

NILE MAGAZINE

A Princess of Nubia
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/4/the-black-pharaohs-of-nubia

Dummy Jars
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/3/dummy-jars

Did the Egyptians really worship cats?
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/6/did-the-egyptians-really-worship-cats

The missing sun temples of Abusir
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/6/9/the-missing-sun-temples-of-abu-sir

WORLD MUSEUM, LIVERPOOL MUSEUMS

Ancient Egypt in Liverpool
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/events/ancient-egypt-listings.aspx

THE CAIRO POST

6 ‘unique’ tombs discovered west of Aswan: Antiquities Minister
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/154387/news/6-unique-tombs-discovered-west-of-aswan-antiquities-minister

SAQQARA.NL

Saqqara day 2015

The upcoming Saqqara Day will be held this Saturday, June 13! You can still register
http://www.saqqara.nl/news

ANCIENT ORIGINS

Mummifying Millions: The Canine Catacombs and the Animal Cult Industry of Ancient Egypt
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/mummifying-millions-canine-catacombs-and-animal-cult-industry-ancient-egypt-020386

ESCHOLARSHIP

Transition 18th-19th dynasty
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0b9005fw

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS

Conserving Cartonnage
http://sydney.edu.au/museums/research/bts-may2015.shtml#


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Wednesday Weekly # 81

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

Brooklyn Museum

THE ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE

UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology (UEE)
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2009/06/ucla-encyclopedia-of-egyptology-uee.html

Egyptology Books and Articles in PDF Online, University of Memphis
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2013/12/egyptology-books-and-articles-in-pdf.html

Propylaeum-DOK: Digital Repository: Egyptology
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/05/propylaeum-dok-digital-repository.html

Open Access Book from the Petrie Museum: The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology: Characters and Collections
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2015/05/open-access-book-from-petrie-museum.html

Open Access Journal: Dotawo: A Journal of Nubian Studies
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.nl/2014/06/new-open-access-journal-dotawo-journal.html

EGYPTIANS

Mountains of the Pharaohs
http://tim-theegyptians.blogspot.nl/2015/06/mountains-of-pharaohs.html

MARÍA ROSA VALDESOGO

Isis and Nephthys in the Ancient Egyptian Coffin of Nesykhonsu.
http://www.mariarosavaldesogo.com/isis-nephthys-in-the-ancient-egyptian-coffin-of-nesykhonsu/

IN THE ARTIFACT LAB

Treasures from Egyptian storage
http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/2015/05/31/treasures-from-egyptian-storage/

OUPBLOG

Who was Amelia Edwards?
http://blog.oup.com/2015/06/amelia-edwards-archaeologist/

AHRAM ONLINE

Egypt recovers 32 smuggled artefacts from Switzerland
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/131686/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Egypt-recovers--smuggled-artefacts-from-Switzerlan.aspx

POPULAR ARCHAEOLOGY

Modern humans migrated out of Africa via Egypt, suggests genetic study
http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/spring-2015/article/modern-humans-migrated-out-of-africa-via-egypt-suggests-genetic-study

THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY PODCAST

Episode 48: End of an Era

The Approaching End of Dynasty XII.
http://egyptianhistory.libsyn.com/episode-48-end-of-an-era

GEBEL EL SILSILA SURVEY PROJECT

Silsila goes TV (live)!
http://gebelelsilsilaepigraphicsurveyproject.blogspot.nl/2015/06/silsila-goes-tv-live.html

ACROSSBORDERS

Project management at the new institution
http://acrossborders.oeaw.ac.at/project-management-at-the-new-institution/

BROOKLYN MUSEUM

The Museum was able to purchase this important relief
http://brooklynmuseum.tumblr.com/post/120179766982/the-museum-was-able-to-purchase-this-important

NILE MAGAZINE

'The Silent Painting Speaks On The Walls And Does Much Good.' - Gregory Of Nyssa, ca. 370 A.D.
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/5/30/the-silent-painting-speaks-on-the-walls-and-does-much-good-gregory-of-nyssa-ca-370-ad-2

Even A Warrior Queen Likes Nice Things
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/5/28/even-a-warrior-queen-likes-nice-things

Everything Turns Orange In The Sandstorm
http://www.nilemagazine.com.au/latest-stories/2015/5/31/everything-turns-orange-in-the-sandstorm

THE CAIRO POST

Dahshour pyramids: ancient Egypt’s forgotten marvel
http://www.thecairopost.com/news/153182/topnews/dahshour-pyramids-ancient-egypts-forgotten-marvel

SAQQARA.NL

Digging diary, week 4: 23 - 28 May 2015
http://www.saqqara.nl/news/mission-digging-diary/2015-digging-diaries/2015-05-28

ANCIENT ORIGINS

Maat: The Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Truth, Justice and Morality
http://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/maat-ancient-egyptian-goddess-truth-justice-and-morality-003131

Walk Like An Egyptian… Scientists Preserve Modern Human Leg using Ancient Egyptian Methods
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/walk-egyptian-scientists-preserve-modern-human-leg-020367

First Physical Evidence found of Ancient Egyptian Opening of the Mouth Procedure
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/first-physical-evidence-found-ancient-egyptian-opening-mouth-procedure-020370