The Nile in Style

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2100-1866972,00.html
A two-page travel article by Andrew Thomas about choosing to cruise the Nile by felucca instead of cruise ship: "Travelling by felucca is a mixture of sailing with the wind, drifting with the current and (when both drop away) impromptu rowing, with planks used as oars. Herons and egrets swooped at our bow, and at night we moored alongside sand islands and among reeds and coots. We slept like sardines across the deck and woke at dawn to see the real things darting through the water just inches from our heads. The days — three aboard, though it seemed like more — were lazy and long, spent reading, talking and watching river life go by. While most of the big cruise ships passed in the night, occasionally one would chunter past by day, its passengers looking down at us and we up at them. They were the ones with cameras in hand, we being the more photogenic. Being photogenic comes at a price, of course".

See the above article for the full story on The Times website.

Awards for SCA officials

http://www.algomhuria.net.eg/gazette/2/
"The Supreme Council of Antiquities will present awards to a number of officials who have done much to boost the archaeological work of the Council. At a ceremony today, SCA Secretary-General Zahi Hawass will honour Ahmed Abdel-Hamid Yussef, former head of the Central Administration of the Egyptian Antiquities Authority. Yussef has contributed to the Egyptian Encyclopedia with many scientific articles, as well as writing a number of books that have been translated into other languages".

This is the complete news bulletin on the Egyptian Gazette website

Tethys Geological Society

http://www.tethys.virtualacademia.com/Key_note.html

I realize that this may be of only minor interest to most visitors, but anyone interested in the geology and early prehistory of Egypt, in particular of the Faiyum and southern Western Desert, may be interested in the abstracts on this page. The following extract is taken from Ted Maxwell's abstract for his lecture entitled Climatic Cycling And Its Effect On Landscape Modification in Southern Egypt: "The “radar rivers” of the sand sheet add complexity to the drainage history, as several scales and directions of flow can be inferred, but multiple generations of incomplete channel remnants are now superposed. Sorting out the effects of Quaternary climate change on the Late Tertiary landscape of southern Egypt will require much more dating of exposures and deposits, as well as much additional work on drainage basin morphology".

For the full abstract, other abstracts, and details of the full lecture series, see the Tethys Geological Society's web page.

The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt: An Account by Orac

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2005/11/the_art_of_medi_1.html

The writer is particularly interested in the Edwin Smith medical papyrus: "This papyrus was named after the American Egyptologist who purchased it in Luxor in 1862 and brought it back to the U.S. The papyrus dates to approximately 1600 B.C. and appears to be a copy of a document that dates back 200-300 years earlier still. What fascinated me is that this papyrus was a practical guide to the treatment of various ailments and embodied the medical thinking of Egyptian physicians of the time. Even more fascinating is that the knowledge contained in the scroll was presented as several cases. Most of the cases were, as might be expected, how to deal with traumatic wounds. There are also included eight magic spells purported to protect against airborne disease, but there is also one for preventing harm from an accidentally swallowed fly". See more on the above webpage.

Wadi Hitan

http://www.algomhuria.net.eg/egyptian_mail/m2/

An article about the prehistoric marine life in the Wadi Hitan by Hassan Saadallah. "It might be strange to know that Fayyoum, the large fertile depression in the desert, used to have a large number of whales, fish and dolphins specifically at Wadi Hitan (Valley of the Whales).It was a few months ago that Wadi Hitan was included on the UNESCO list of international natural heritage. The site which is the first Egyptian and sixth Arab one on the list will not be the last because the Ministry of Environmental Affairs is working on another 26 potential sites that could be gradually put on the list of natural heritage.Since the early 20th century, the area has been the focus of scientific attention. Studies show that Wadi Hitan incorporates 406 skeletons of whales of which 205 are complete in addition to skeletons of mammals, sharks, mermaids and dolphins.The coordinated efforts of the Geology Museum, the Geological Survey Authority, the Environmental Affairs Agency and Egyptian universities have rendered an all-embracing study of Wadi Al Hitan, which ultimately entitled the site for inclusion on the international list.Generally speaking, Egypt has joined the UNESCO agreement of international heritage in l975. According to the list, there are more than 570 accredited cultural sites across the world compared to l30 sites of natural heritage in addition to 30 sites that combines both cultural and natural heritage".

This page will only be on the Egyptian Gazette website for the next week and will change next Saturday, so to read the full article please visit it in the next few days.

Personal thanks to Sussex Egyptology Society

http://www.egyptology-uk.com/

Massive thanks to Mick and the members of Sussex Egyptology Society for making me so very welcome - the tea and sandwiches were great and the technical support was superb! It was super to meet you, and I am very grateful for your support and the opportunity to come and talk to you. Janet - thanks for inviting me.

Thank you ALL very much indeed for a great day.

Andie

xx

Trivia

Blue blood and rosettes of Camerons

http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1246560

Were David Cameron ever to become Prime Minister, he and his wife Samantha would be the most aristocratic occupants of Downing Street in more than 40 years. Michael Rhodes and Political Editor Simon McGee report . . . . The aristocrats in Mr Cam-eron's blood line include numerous dukes and earls, including the Herbert Earls of Carnarvon. His cousin, the unfortunate 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was the Egyptologist who entered Tutan-khamun's tomb in 1922 and was dead within months – some say from the curse of the Pharoah".
See the Yorkshire Today website for more.

Egyptians used helicopters and airplanes?
http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363/16449_egypt.html
"There is a scientific theory that says that Egyptians descended from Martians who had once visited this planet. . . . the respectable Arab newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat published several sensational photos taken in the Amon Ra Temple in Karnak. At that, the newspaper asked its readers whether they believed that ancient Egyptians knew about battle aviation. The question would have seriously puzzled readers under some different conditions. But the photos the newspaper published demonstrated the bas-reliefs of an ancient temple built under Seti I who ruled 3,000 years ago; and on the bas-reliefs an ancient artist engraved a battle helicopter with a distinct rotor and a tail unit. Nearby, the artist depicted several other aircrafts astonishingly resembling contemporary supersonic fighters and heavy strategic bombers!"

See the above URL for more information

Saturday 12th

Apologies but it is going to be a late posting today - I am away for the day but I will update the blog in the evening.

Cheers

Andie

Hourig Sourouzian: Resurrection

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/768/profile.htm

"The Colossi of Memnon, two lonely sentinels, have greeted visitors to the Theban necropolis since Roman times. More recently, as you look beyond the seated monoliths, a temple can be seen progressively re-emerging from what, to an unprofessional eye, earlier appeared as no more than slight elevations and depressions in the packed earth. In this age of advanced technology, what is officially known as The Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project, simply Memnon/Amenhotep III Project, under the auspices of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), is casting light on a great monument that was swept away soon after its completion".
Interview by Jill Kamil on the Al Ahram Weekly website.

Archaeologists discover base of ancient lighthouse

http://en.rian.ru/world/20051107/42010229.html

Thanks to EEF for this news item: "French diving archeologists have discovered the foundation of the ancient lighthouse of Pharos in Alexandria, the seventh wonder of the world. The director of the Alexandria national museum, Ibrahim Darwish, said Sunday that the lighthouse, which was destroyed by two earthquakes in the 11th and 14th centuries, had occupied an area of 800 sq m north of the city's eastern harbor. The lighthouse consisted of three towers stacked one on top of the other largest to smallest and reached 120-137 meters (390-450 feet) in height. On top of the lighthouse, there was a bronze chalice holding smoldering coal. A complicated system of mirrors made it possible for travelers to see the smoldering coal from a distance of tens of kilometers (up to 60 miles). The lighthouse was built by Greek architect Sostratus for King Ptolemy II (284-246 BC). It was erected on the eastern side of the island of Pharos at the entrance to the harbor of Alexandria. Earthquakes scattered the remains of the lighthouse all over the harbor, and only now have archeologists established its exact location. In July, Governor Salam El Mahgoub called on Egyptian and international organizations to restore the lighthouse, a project that will cost $100 million".

This is the full item on the Russian News and Information Agency website.

Book Review: Sculptor's Models

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/765/books765.htm
Sculptor's Models: the Study of the Type and Function of a Group of Ancient Egyptian Artefacts, (Nadya Samir Tomoum, trans. Brenda Siller, Cairo: SCA Press, 2005. pp265): " This solid publication, both in terms of production and of content, is a valuable research tool on a fascinating subject. Originally begun as a dissertation for a doctoral degree in Egyptology, this work of in- depth research on an important and little-known subject, the group of tiny objects, known collectively as "sculptors' models," is so insightful and interesting that the Supreme Council of Antiquities has decided to sponsor its publication".

See the above link for more.

Women and Property

http://www.chs.harvard.edu/_/File/_/women_property_azzoni.pdf
Thanks to the EEF weekly digest for pointing to this article in PDF format: Women and Property in Persian Egypt and Mesopotamia. For other articles from the proceedings of the conference Women and Property in Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Societies see the following URL:
http://snipurl.com/jp8n

Fort Lauderdale prepares for Tutankhamun

http://tinyurl.com/a36sq

"Fort Lauderdale (MoA/FL) MoA/FL, the second venue in the 27-month museum tour, did not sustain any damage from Hurricane Wilma, allowing preparations for the forthcoming exhibit to continue uninterrupted in the past weeks . . . . More than 250,000 tickets have been sold or reserved for the exhibit at MoA/FL, an unprecedented number for the venue. Of all tickets reserved, approximately a third of the reservations are from outside the South Florida
tri-county region".

See more on the PR Newswire website.

Divine Aura in Pudong

http://tinyurl.com/8jwxe

"For anyone interested in what life was like under the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt and what the country is like today, the Super Brand Mall in Pudong has an exhibition that may unveil some of the mysteries of the past and give an insight into modern Egypt. Divine Aura is a Sino-Egyptian photographic exhibition of pictures taken by photographers from both countries . . . . It is part of Egyptian Week at the ongoing Shanghai International Arts Festival . . . . At the show, a number of replicas of cultural relics are on display, including 21 statues, three painted limestone panels and the "Rossetta Stone" which unlocked the secrets of ancient Egypt in the 19th century.For example, there is a replica of a statue of the God Anubis found in the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amon and the face of his father, the Pharaoh Akhenaton. Another 56 pieces of handicraft are also on display".

For more see the English Eastday webpage above.

Mummies Invade

http://tinyurl.com/9tmjq

An item about the Excavating Egypt exhibition currently touring the US. "One is a wrapped female - she has no name. The other is a man. A priest from the Temple of Mut at Carnak. His name is Ankhefenmut. They are two real life mummies - around 3000 years old . . . . The exhibit is called Excavating Egypt and sponsored by General Electric. It's currently on a North American tour -on loan from the Petrie Museum in London. It's considered the primary teaching collection for Egyptology in the world". See the Fox23 News website above, for more.

Ancient Egypt Magazine - December/January Issue

http://www.ancientegyptmagazine.com/issue32.htm

I could have sworn that I had already posted this, but I can't find it anywhere! So here are some of the features that will appear in teh December/January issue of Ancient Egypt magazine. I'll post will more details when they become available. The new cover image is available on the above page.
– SphinxAE: looks at the many sphinxes of ancient Egypt from the Great Sphinx at Giza to those of the Ptolemaic Period.
– The Temple of Ptah at Karnak: Charlotte Booth visits the small temple of Ptah in a corner of the Karnak site overlooked by many tourists.
– Ancient Egyptian Medicine: George M. Burden, M.D. finds evidence that the ancient Egyptians recorded some surprisingly modern case-histories and treatments for illnesses.
– Mummies at the Movies: Mark Walker examines the influence of ancient Egypt, especially the modern fascination with mummies, on the fantasy world of the Big Screen.

Tragic end to Nile exploration

http://tinyurl.com/azq9a

An article on The Telegraph website describes how Ugandan rebels ended Neil McGrigor's expedition to follow the Nile to its source, killing a British safari operator, stealing their belongings and setting fire to their Land Rovers. They were rescued by the army. McGrigor acknowledges that taking one soldier along for security was inadequate in an area notorious as a killing ground, where the Lord's Resistance Army have been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths over the last two decades.

I posted news of the expeditions plans, on this blog, at the end of September here:

http://tinyurl.com/8phe9

Egyptian-Japanese team to locate artifacts of the New Valley

http://tinyurl.com/dwqmc
"On a 3-year mission, a research team from the National Institute for Geophysics and Astronomy, "Helwan Observatory" will resume its project to survey and determine sites to dig for monuments in the Kharga Oases region. This will be carried out in cooperation with the Computer Science Lab in Technology Institute in Tokyo as well as the Supreme Council for Antiquities. Such enterprise aims at the detection of antiquities around Al-Zaiyan Temple in Polaq district in Al-Kharga Oases, in which state-of the art-technology will be used to determine and locate significant antiquities sites. Notably, a similar field study was carried out before to locate the underground water surrounding Hebes Temple in the New Valley".

This is the complete bulletin on the State Information Service website.

Egypt foils attempt to sell 50 artifacts in Canada

http://tinyurl.com/d59zs
"Egypt has managed to foil an attempt to sell 50 Pharaohnic artifacts at the Medousa auction in Canada, said Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni. Secretary of the National Council of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawwas said that the Council has been monitoring 43 auctions all over the world to trace Egyptian artifacts on sale there. Hawwas said that the Prosecutor-General was notified and the Canadian authorities contacted in order to halt the sale and have the artifacts returned to Egypt. He said that the Canadian authorities have already taken measures to impound the pieces until Egypt sends a technical and judicial committee".

This is the entire bulletin on the State Information Service website.

The Ashmolean rebuild

http://snipurl.com/jntm

"Behind its elegant façade, the state of Oxford's Ashmolean has long been an embarrassment - but a £49m rebuild is about to change that, says Giles Worsley. The Ashmolean in Oxford is one of the great museum buildings of the world and arguably the most sophisticated classical building ever erected in this country. But as a modern museum it fails lamentably". See this article on The Telegraph website for more. The article provides a real insight into the problems being experienced by this important museum and art gallery, and how they are being addressed.

The Ashmo has a relatively small but very fine Egyptology collection spread throughout four galleries. Particularly notable are the Predynastic and Amarna exhibits, as well as the wonderful Taharqa temple. Further details of their plans can be found at the Ashmolean's website:

http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/ash/development/