By Rossella Lorenzi
Remains of the long lost temple of Kheny have been unearthed at Gebel el Silsila, north of Aswan, Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities announced today.
Revealing the foundations and blockwork of the temple, the ruins are one of the few remnants of the settlement of Kheny or Khenu, which is the ancient Egyptian name — meaning “Rowing Place” — for Gebel el-Silsila.
The site, located on both banks of the Nile between Edfu and Kom Ombo, was extensively used as a quarry from the New Kingdom until Roman times.
“We know that huge quantities of sandstone for temple building were quarried there,” Lund University archaeologist Maria Nilsson, director of the Gebel el Silsila Survey Project, told Discovery News.
Indeed, virtually all of Egypt’s great temples, including those at Karnak and Luxor, were built with sandstone from Gebel el Silsila.
“Now this finding changes the history of the site, and it firmly establishes Gebel el Silsila as not only a quarry, but also a sacred location,” she added.
While cult activities at the site were mainly associated with the Nile and its inundation, the principal deity was Sobek, the god of crocodiles who controlled the waters.
Showing posts with label Survey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Survey. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
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.
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.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Pharaonic Rock Carvings Found in Egypt
JAN 7, 2015 06:30 PM ET // BY ROSSELLA LORENZI
A rare wall relief showing an unidentified pharaoh has been discovered within the sandstone quarries of Gebel el Silsila, north of Aswan.
Carved into the vertical face of the quarry wall, some 5 feet above the ground, the stela depicts the pharaoh presenting offerings to Thoth, the ancient god of wisdom, and Amun-Ra, the king among gods.
“It’s particularly rare for these two deities to be portrayed together,” Lund University archaeologist Maria Nilsson, director of the Gebel el Silsila Survey Project, told Discovery News.
She added the three figures are rather poorly preserved, although some details can be made out.
“We can see the characteristic double feather crown of Amun-Ra, and the moon disc of the ibis-headed Thoth,” Nilsson said. “Unfortunately, the item presented by the pharaoh is no longer discernible.”
Preliminary study suggests the stela dates to the late dynastic period, perhaps the Third Intermediate Period, which began with the death of pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1070 B.C. and ended with the foundation of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty by Psamtik I in 664 BC.
Readable inscriptions on the stela are merely titles of the gods, “Amun-Ra, King of the Gods, Lord of (-)”, and “Thoth, Twice Great, Lord of (-)”.
A rare wall relief showing an unidentified pharaoh has been discovered within the sandstone quarries of Gebel el Silsila, north of Aswan.
Carved into the vertical face of the quarry wall, some 5 feet above the ground, the stela depicts the pharaoh presenting offerings to Thoth, the ancient god of wisdom, and Amun-Ra, the king among gods.
“It’s particularly rare for these two deities to be portrayed together,” Lund University archaeologist Maria Nilsson, director of the Gebel el Silsila Survey Project, told Discovery News.
She added the three figures are rather poorly preserved, although some details can be made out.
“We can see the characteristic double feather crown of Amun-Ra, and the moon disc of the ibis-headed Thoth,” Nilsson said. “Unfortunately, the item presented by the pharaoh is no longer discernible.”
Preliminary study suggests the stela dates to the late dynastic period, perhaps the Third Intermediate Period, which began with the death of pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1070 B.C. and ended with the foundation of the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty by Psamtik I in 664 BC.
Readable inscriptions on the stela are merely titles of the gods, “Amun-Ra, King of the Gods, Lord of (-)”, and “Thoth, Twice Great, Lord of (-)”.
Monday, September 1, 2014
New discoveries at Berenice by Polish archaeologists
Archaeologists studied 2 thousand years old port infrastructure and a large animal cemetery in Berenice on the Red Sea in Egypt.
"This time during excavations we got lucky. Undoubtedly, this year's most interesting find is a frame - wooden part of a ship hull from the early Roman period" - told PAP Iwona Zych from the Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, who leads the research project in cooperation with Prof. Steven E. Sidebotham of the University of Delaware in the United States.
This is the first fully preserved and documented frame from the hull of the ship from this period in Egypt. The find and the place of its discovery leads researchers to believe that the ship was dismantled and its parts stored in the warehouse in the port bay. Archaeologists will examine the object. Detailed measurements will allow for an approximate reconstruction of the size of the ship.
"This will be the first time that we know the actual size and construction of a Red Sea vessel, because no ancient vessels, or even wrecks have survived to this day" - said Zych.
North-east of the port, archaeologists discovered a large cemetery of small animals. Only this year they studied 60 burials, mostly of cats, but also a small number of dogs, two small vervets and a baboon. Most of the animals were buried either inside damaged clay vessels or covered with shards of clay pots and amphorae. An interesting fact is that one of the vervets had a metal collar.
Scientists are not sure why animals had been buried in this place. Archaeozoologist of the mission, Dr. Marta Osypińska, believes that such an accumulation of burials may be a result of a plague brought to the port from a remote destination. Another possibility is exploitation of young animals in magical rituals, during which the oracle was consulted before a long sea journey. Pet cemeteries are also known from the areas of the Roman Empire, and this beloved animals also can not be ruled out in the case of Berenice. Further research may help solve this puzzle.
"This time during excavations we got lucky. Undoubtedly, this year's most interesting find is a frame - wooden part of a ship hull from the early Roman period" - told PAP Iwona Zych from the Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, who leads the research project in cooperation with Prof. Steven E. Sidebotham of the University of Delaware in the United States.
This is the first fully preserved and documented frame from the hull of the ship from this period in Egypt. The find and the place of its discovery leads researchers to believe that the ship was dismantled and its parts stored in the warehouse in the port bay. Archaeologists will examine the object. Detailed measurements will allow for an approximate reconstruction of the size of the ship.
"This will be the first time that we know the actual size and construction of a Red Sea vessel, because no ancient vessels, or even wrecks have survived to this day" - said Zych.
North-east of the port, archaeologists discovered a large cemetery of small animals. Only this year they studied 60 burials, mostly of cats, but also a small number of dogs, two small vervets and a baboon. Most of the animals were buried either inside damaged clay vessels or covered with shards of clay pots and amphorae. An interesting fact is that one of the vervets had a metal collar.
Scientists are not sure why animals had been buried in this place. Archaeozoologist of the mission, Dr. Marta Osypińska, believes that such an accumulation of burials may be a result of a plague brought to the port from a remote destination. Another possibility is exploitation of young animals in magical rituals, during which the oracle was consulted before a long sea journey. Pet cemeteries are also known from the areas of the Roman Empire, and this beloved animals also can not be ruled out in the case of Berenice. Further research may help solve this puzzle.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Archaeologists Uncover Lost Population of Ancient Amarna
Burial remains shed new light on the "missing 6,000" of ancient Egypt's Amarna period.
It remained a mystery for decades.
Since archaeologist F.Ll. Griffith's excavations in the 1920's at the ancient site of the pharaoh Akhenaten's short-lived new capital city of Akhetaten (modern Amarna), archaeologists have been puzzled about the whereabouts of the remains of the city's commoner population – the people who toiled to build and maintain Akhenaten’s sacred edifices and infrastructure -- and more specifically, the estimated 6,000 people who died during the short 15-year period of the city’s construction and development.
“A will-of-the-wisp, the dream of a rich unplundered cemetery of the middle classes at El-Amarneh, full of choice vases and amulets, beckons to each successive explorer,” wrote Griffith in the report for his 1923 excavation season.*
Many of the elaborate unfinished rock-cut tombs of Akhenaten’s elite courtiers and high officials had already been found. They grace the cliff faces of the northern end of the Amarna city plain and the face of a low escarpment at the southern end of the ancient city. They can be plainly seen today by modern visitors.
But the burials of the deceased of the estimated 30,000 commoners and laborers remained elusive – until 2001, when archaeologist Barry Kemp of the University of Cambridge began to see the first signs. Kemp has directed excavations and surveys at Amarna for the Egypt Exploration Society since 1977.
It remained a mystery for decades.
Since archaeologist F.Ll. Griffith's excavations in the 1920's at the ancient site of the pharaoh Akhenaten's short-lived new capital city of Akhetaten (modern Amarna), archaeologists have been puzzled about the whereabouts of the remains of the city's commoner population – the people who toiled to build and maintain Akhenaten’s sacred edifices and infrastructure -- and more specifically, the estimated 6,000 people who died during the short 15-year period of the city’s construction and development.
“A will-of-the-wisp, the dream of a rich unplundered cemetery of the middle classes at El-Amarneh, full of choice vases and amulets, beckons to each successive explorer,” wrote Griffith in the report for his 1923 excavation season.*
Many of the elaborate unfinished rock-cut tombs of Akhenaten’s elite courtiers and high officials had already been found. They grace the cliff faces of the northern end of the Amarna city plain and the face of a low escarpment at the southern end of the ancient city. They can be plainly seen today by modern visitors.
But the burials of the deceased of the estimated 30,000 commoners and laborers remained elusive – until 2001, when archaeologist Barry Kemp of the University of Cambridge began to see the first signs. Kemp has directed excavations and surveys at Amarna for the Egypt Exploration Society since 1977.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Roman city located near Rosetta
Remains of ancient city discovered 25km south of Rashid (Rosetta) in the Nile Delta
by Nevine El-Aref , Monday 30 Jun 2014
During a magnetic archaeological survey under the Nile, 25km south of Rashid (Rosetta), a complete Roman city has been located.
The survey revealed that the city includes several structures including a huge rectangular building which archaeologists suggest could have been used for administrative or religious activities.
Part of the city is dated to the Hellenistic period and others to the late Hellenistic period and the beginning of the Roman era.
“It is a very important discovery that explores daily life in the Nile Delta during the Roman period,” said Antiquities Minister Mamdouh El-Damaty.
He explained that it also reveals the architecture style of buildings and the mechanisms of urban planning in the Hellenistic era.
The international team includes archaeologists and scientists from the United States, Italy and other European countries.
Mohamed Qenawi, the head of the Egyptian research team, explained that early studies show that the discovered city was constructed during the Late Pharaonic period and lasted into the Roman era. He asserted that further studies would reveal more details of this buried city.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/41/105138/Heritage/GrecoRoman/Roman-city-located-near-Rosetta.aspx
by Nevine El-Aref , Monday 30 Jun 2014
During a magnetic archaeological survey under the Nile, 25km south of Rashid (Rosetta), a complete Roman city has been located.
The survey revealed that the city includes several structures including a huge rectangular building which archaeologists suggest could have been used for administrative or religious activities.
Part of the city is dated to the Hellenistic period and others to the late Hellenistic period and the beginning of the Roman era.
“It is a very important discovery that explores daily life in the Nile Delta during the Roman period,” said Antiquities Minister Mamdouh El-Damaty.
He explained that it also reveals the architecture style of buildings and the mechanisms of urban planning in the Hellenistic era.
The international team includes archaeologists and scientists from the United States, Italy and other European countries.
Mohamed Qenawi, the head of the Egyptian research team, explained that early studies show that the discovered city was constructed during the Late Pharaonic period and lasted into the Roman era. He asserted that further studies would reveal more details of this buried city.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/41/105138/Heritage/GrecoRoman/Roman-city-located-near-Rosetta.aspx
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