I have my father staying with me for the next week. I thought I'd find the time to update the blog but we seem to have filled every second of every waking day with plans, so it looks very unlikely that I'll get the chance to blog in the next few days. Apologies! I'll do some updates if I find a spare hour or two.We are pleased to present an audio interview with Dr. Fred Wendorf, a principal figure in the history of American archaeology and for decades the leading researcher in the prehistory of northeastern Africa. This interview, titled Desert Days after the title of his recently published memoir, is the latest feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel
(http://www.archaeologychannel.org).
Dr. Wendorf came of age and began his career during a formative period in American archaeology. But after leaving his permanent mark on the development of archaeology in the American Southwest and the United States, he essentially founded the study of the prehistoric eastern Sahara, beginning with the Aswan Dam Project in the Nile River Valley. His life, nearly ended by a bullet on a WWII battlefield in Italy, has included an archaeological research career spanning six decades and an unsurpassed record of seminal contributions. His recently published book, Desert Days: My life as a Field Archaeologist, is a record not only of a life, but of an epoch in the history of archaeology on two continents.
Guided by Dr. Wendorf’s book, this interview covers a wide array of topics, including his role in the creation of the first truly large contract archaeology projects in the United States, his momentous and very fruitful decision to launch a field expedition in the Nile River Valley against the wishes and advice of others, and the contributions of his research toward the understanding of human cultural development. Personal anecdotes combine with long considered assessments to paint a genuine picture of his life and career and the era they have spanned.
The Walters Art Museum has one of the largest collections of Ethiopian art outside of Ethiopia. The collection of Ethiopian Art at the Walters Art Museum is exhibited with those of Byzantium and Russia in a permanent gallery devoted to the art of the Orthodox world. The Ethiopian collection of art is very large and rivals the Byzantium and Russian collections.
The art features pieces predominantly from the Coptic church and highlight the ancient Chrisitian church. Steeped in a rich history, these pieces tell the tale of traditions of Christianity that go back centuries. The collection is permanently at the Walters Art Museum so you are welcome to drop in and view it anytime.
The Egyptian art collection features sculptures, jewelery, items from everyday use in ancient Egypt, and coffins. The entrance to the exhibit is impressive, with two large statues 'guarding' the entrance.
The book under review is the result of a workshop held in 2004 in Newcastle, where seven scholars met to discuss and compare seven royal courts in different cultures and periods: the Achaemenid, Argead Macedonian, and Sassanid, early and late imperial Roman, Han Chinese and New Kingdom Egyptian. What these courts have in common, is that they formed the cores (with the exception of pharaonic Egypt) of imperial states.1 The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies first of all aims at analyzing the political functioning of ancient imperial courts in a comparative perspective. It is furthermore an attempt to assign to the royal court a more central place in the study of ancient states (most of which were, after all, monarchical states) by making use of recent scholarship concerning the court in the early modern period. Ever since the seminal works of Jürgen von Kruedener (1973) and notably Norbert Elias (1969),2 historians studying the cultural and political history of Europe after the Middle Ages have understood the pivotal importance of the court for the functioning of monarchical states, and the number of publications is substantial. In the study of ancient states, the court has played a far less central role.
Given the prevalence of monarchy in the political history of the Ancient World, it is remarkable that royal courts have received such limited attention.
Steadman fills an empty niche in the offerings on how archaeology interprets past religions with this useful textbook. The book includes case studies from around the world, from the study of Upper Paleolithic religions and of shamans in foraging societies to formal religious structures in advanced complex societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and the Andes. Steadman also includes key contemporary religions--Christianity, Islam, Buddhism among others--to provide an historical and comparative context. This is an ideal text for an Archaeology of Religion course or classes that include a significant component on "past religions," as well as for general readers.
By the time of Tutankhamun’s birth, Egypt had been a superpower for nearly two centuries. The nation itself had been formed about 1,600 years earlier, and the great pyramids at Giza were already ancient edifices at more than one thousand years old. Modern scholars generally divide the history of Egypt into periods and dynasties – families of monarchs that ruled and influenced Egyptian civilization. These monarchs would eventually become to be known as “pharaohs,” a word that literally translates as “Great House,” in reference to the king’s palace. While these mighty rulers helped significantly mold and shape this great culture, most people fail to remember the names of the “high kings” of ancient Egypt. Some may then seem to think it strange that Tutankhamun, a short-lived king, is the name that conjures up the image of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh today. Interestingly enough, the popularity of King Tut, as he is most commonly known, can be better attributed to the discovery of his nearly intact tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 and the thousands of marvels that this discovery provided than anything intrinsic of the young king’s reign. It is for these reasons that society now thinks of Tutankhamun as Egypt's most famous pharaoh.
In Egypt, an ancient fortified garrison town from the time of King Psmatik I was discovered at Tell Dafna in the Ismailia governorate.
A Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) archaeological mission in Ismailia revealed the remains of a military town dating back to the 26th Dynasty (ca. 664-625 B.C.), at the site of Tell Dafna, between the El-Manzala Lake and the Suez Canal, 15km northeast of the city of western Qantara.
The northeast Delta held a special role in ancient Egypt. The area was a major hub for trade with the east. It was also the location of an ancient military and trade route known as the Ways of Horus connecting Egypt with the East. The area was used as a strategic position by the Late Period kings (ca. 747-525 B.C), especially those of the 26th Dynasty in order to defend the eastern borders of Egypt from invaders.
Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the SCA, said King Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty (ca. 1279-1212 BC) chose the site of Tell Dafna to put up a fortress town on Egypt’s eastern border in order to repulse Egypt’s enemies. The newly discovered fortress indicates that King Psmatik I (ca. 664-610 BC) also built additional fortifications here.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maksoud, head of the Central Department of the Lower Egyptian Antiquities and the director of the mission, said that the newly discovered fortress covers an area of about 380×625m, while the enclosure wall is about 13m in width. It is considered to be the largest fortress ever discovered in the eastern Delta.
The team also revealed a large mud brick temple consisting of three halls, a group of storage magazines at the eastern and western sides of the temple and a small mud brick palace, with eight rooms, located at the northeast end of the temple.
I always say that the Egyptian monuments will be completely destroyed in less than 100 years if tourism isn’t managed properly. Tourism is the number one threat to the Egyptian antiquities.
In Egypt we have started many important site management projects in order to protect the monuments, and I have published many articles about my ideas. When I became Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, we initiated site management projects at Abu Simbel, the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan, Edfu, Kom Ombo, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple in Luxor, and at Dendera. We are currently finishing site management projects at Giza and Saqqara, as well as working at Tell Basta, and San el-Hagar (Tanis), and this week we have completed our project at Pompey’s Pillar in Alexandria.
In order to have a high quality site management program it is important to have a means of protecting the site, an educational introduction within a visitor’s centre, well-trained personnel, a programme for restoration and conservation, and, outside of the site, facilities for tourists, such as cafeterias, a bazaar, and clean bathrooms.
The Valley of the Kings is a special case. Here, tourists concentrate on visiting certain tombs – especially the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramesses VI, and Horemheb – while others are hardly visited at all, even though the valley contains sixty-three tombs in total. This means that some tombs need added protection, while others need to be closed completely in order to save the ancient paintings.
We are currently installing lighting in the Valley of the Kings so that people will be able to visit the tombs in the evening. This will help to protect the paintings because it allows us to spread the tourist visits out over the course of the day – they will need to make reservations for the morning, early afternoon or evening. This will allow the tombs to escape from the extra heat and moisture that builds up in them over the course of the day.
Three special tombs are so important and beautiful that they need to be carefully protected: the tombs of Tutankhamun, Nefertari and Seti I. The latter two are currently closed to the public to help preserve them. In order to allow visitors to Luxor to still see the paintings in these beautiful tombs, yet still keep them closed, we contacted Adam Lowe of Factum Arte. He is currently making detailed high-resolution copies of the tomb scenes using laser scanners. The images that these scanners create look almost exactly like the original paintings.
An Englishwoman in Egypt: Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody novels July 10, 4:33 PM In my previous review, I briefly mentioned the Amelia Peabody detective novels, a marvelous series of mysteries that certainly deserve more than a one-line accolade. Written by acclaimed American novelist Elizabeth Peters, the eighteen books in the Amelia Peabody series describe the life of their title character, her family, and their friends. Although the early books occasionaly skip a few years in the saga of Amelia's life, each book usually describes one archaeological season in nineteenth- or twentieth-century Egypt, where Amelia and her husband Emerson excavate tombs, usually in the well-known Valley of Kings. Elizabeth Peters' PhD in Egyptology is evident from the knowledge she brings to descriptions of tombs and artifacts, so that the books are both interesting and informative.
I began the series in media res, with The Last Camel Died at Noon, the sixth book in the series, when the Emersons' precocious son Ramses is already of age and in which the family find themselves stranded and trapped first in the desert and then in a primitive Egyptian society significantly isolated from their comfortable nineteenth-century world. I would not recommend this book to first-time readers of the Peabody sagas, as the sudden explosion of characters and the sight fantastical tilt of this novel are a little extraordinary for Peters' work. Instead, begin at the beginning, The Crocodile on the Sandbank, or any of the novels immediately following (Ramses as a small child is infinitely entertaining).
Jean Yoyotte, professeur honoraire au Collège de France et l'un des égyptologues les plus connus au monde, est décédé le 1er juillet à Paris à l'âge de 81 ans, a annoncé sa famille.
Titulaire de la chaire d'égyptologie du Collège de France, Jean Yoyotte est l'auteur de plusieurs ouvrages consacrés à l'Egype ancienne, dont, en collaboration, un Dictionnaire de la civilisation égyptienne (1959) et un Bestiaire des pharaons (2001). Il a aussi dirigé, de 1965 à 1985, les fouilles archéologiques du site de Tanis, l'un des sites archéologiques les plus importants du nord-est de l'Egypte, connu notamment pour ses tombes royales. Une grande exposition intitulée "Tanis, l'or des pharaons", dont Jean Yoyotte avait rédigé le catalogue, a été organisée en 1987 au Grand Palais à Paris.
Last week, residents of Indianapolis fell under the spell of the art and history of ancient Egyptians as the "Tutankhamun, The Golden King and The Great Pharaohs" exhibition opened its doors to the public. Streets, kiosks, restaurants and hotel forefronts were decorated with huge Egyptian and US flags, as well as posters of some of the stunning objects featured in the exhibition -- among them the exquisite gold canopic coffinette of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, a limestone head of the monotheistic ruler Akhenaten, a marble statue of Queen Hatshepsut, and a colossal seated statue of Pharaoh Sobekhotep of the Middle Kingdom.
At the forefront of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (CMI), where the exhibition is taking place, stands a colossal replica statue of the necropolis deity Anubis greeting visitors as they pass through an ancient Egyptian-style gate guarded by two athletic-looking bodyguards wearing the ancient nemes head dress and a short white gown tied at the waist with a coloured belt decorated with lotus flowers.
After crossing the museum garden, which is decorated with gypsum replicas of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, visitors are taken back in time to the life, death, faith and afterlife of those innovative Pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
Strains of oriental music filled the evening air of the CMI's reception hall, where women and men, girls and boys dressed as Pharaohs, courtiers, servants, priests and deities roam about guiding visitors to the different sections of the "Tutankhamun, the Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" exhibition.
"Now, come, travel back in time. See where and how these rulers lived," beckons the deep voice of Hollywood's Indiana Jones, aka Harrison Ford, while a two-minute video accompanies the narrative. When the screens go quiet, massive double limestone-coloured doors, edged by a pair of carved columns decorated with lotus flowers, swing open into a labyrinth of seven galleries displaying 130 splendid ancient Egyptian artefacts from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, many of which have never left home before. These objects focus on the splendour of the Egyptian Pharaohs, their function in the earthly and divine worlds, and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people. Fifty of the pieces are from Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb while the rest feature the treasures of his ancestor rulers from the pyramid builders' era through the Late Period.
Sahara Journal
Oriental MuseumThe Ancient Egyptian collections at Durham Univerisity are some of the finest in the UK and include a number of world famous and unique objects.
Since 2008 the main Eygptian gallery at the Oriental Museum has been closed to allow for a major tour of Japan. The tour has now returned to Durham and we have used this opportunity to create a completely new gallery designed to showcase the highlights of this important collection.
The new gallery opens to the public for the first time this July. Even if you are a regular visitor to the Oriental Museum there will be plenty to see as the new gallery includes objects never seen on display in the UK before.
A 12-month touring exhibition in Japan displaying a range of ancient Egyptian artefacts - including a number of gold pieces - has been deemed a success for one UK University.
Durham University's Oriental Museum sent the exhibition on a tour that resulted in the collection being seen by nearly 200,000 Japanese visitors, the Journal reports.
Among the items on display were a number of tiny gold amulets, unique ancient jewellery and a gilded gold and painted mummy face mask.
The museum earned £60,000 in revenue that has been put into redecorating its Egyptian gallery, which will reopen to the public after a two-year closure tomorrow (July 10th) with an array of old and new exhibits.
"Closing the gallery and undertaking the tour of Japan has given us the time and funding to undertake vital conservation on delicate objects, which we are now able to display to the public for the first time," commented museum curator Craig Barclay.
Louise Bertini undertook analysis of all of the faunal bone recovered between 2002 and 2008; the following represents a brief summary of some of her key conclusions. The faunal material, consisting of 3705 bone fragments, was in good condition for a Nile Delta site. All bone fragments were examined, with information being recorded for each on its taxon, element, portion, side, age, evidence for butchery marks, being worked, gnawed, burn marks, and breakage patterns. Fish bones were not part of the study, though the majority appear to be Nile Catfish (Synodontis and Clarias), followed by Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) and Tilapia.
Pigs are by far the most commonly identified species at Kom Firin, making up 44.1% of the total number of identified specimens. The ratio of pigs to sheep/goat is 4:1 and the ratio of pigs to cattle is: 6:1. These are very peculiar ratios, as a more typical pig to sheep goat ratio is between 1:1 and 1.5:1. This may reflect lower status occupation levels, for example of Third Intermediate Period occupation over the abandoned Ramesside temple, or in the dense occupation area in the northeast area of the enclosure (where pig to sheep/goat ratios reached 10:1). Cattle bones were also found, particularly in the Third Intermediate Period occupation levels above the Ramesside temple, but also from within the temple itself, perhaps reflecting the ancient offering cult. Equid remains (donkeys and horses) were also found with some frequency (262 fragments).
¿Creen que es imposible unir la medicina con la egiptología? Pues, están equivocados. En el marco de un proyecto científico inaugurado hace poco en la República Checa, estas dos disciplinas se dan la mano para brindar nuevos conocimientos a historiadores y médicos.
Estudiar las momias del Antiguo Egipto sin afectar su integridad ha sido el sueño de todo historiador durante siglos. Ahora el sueño se vuelve realidad en la República Checa.
El Museo Náprstek, de Praga, y el Museo Municipal de Moravská Třebová han lanzado hace poco un proyecto que aprovecha las últimas tecnologías médicas en el estudio de los cuerpos momificados.
En la primera fase del proyecto, diez momias egipcias fueron sometidas a la tomografía computarizada, que permite estudiar los cuerpos sin dañarlos. Los médicos han sacado miles de imágenes que ahora se están analizando, explicó la médica Lubica Oktábcová.
“Cada momia fue dividida en segmentos, cada uno de 0,5 milímetros de grosor, y todos estos segmentos fueron fotografiados. Así que pueden imaginar cuántas imágenes sacamos. En total, hicimos unas 3.000 fotografías, que actualmente se están estudiando”, sostuvo Oktábcová.
El objetivo del estudio es descubrir detalles sobre la procedencia de las momias, así como el tipo de vida y las probables causas de muerte de las personas cuyos cadáveres fueron sometidos a las técnicas de conservación egipcias.
El proyecto es una continuación del trabajo realizado en los años 70 por el científico checo Evžen Strouhal, quien utilizaba en sus investigaciones la radiología.
Durante los últimos 40 años las tecnologías médicas han avanzado bastante. Así que los científicos de hoy disponen de muchos más detalles. Además del esqueleto, pueden estudiar restos de tejidos o, por ejemplo, los objetos escondidos entre las capas de la momia.
