New archaelogical findings may re-shape Sudanese history

http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=248239
The recent discovery of seven statues in Karma, northern Sudan, south of the Third Cataract, which represented monarchs during the ancient Nubian Kingdom. They represent the kings Taharqa, Tanoutamon, Senkamanisken, Anlamani and Aspelta.

More on the Alexandrian University

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=10&u=/ap/20040526/ap_on_sc/egypt_ancient_university
A short update about the results of the Polish team who are excavating the legendary University at Alexandria

Interactive Hierakonpolis - Updated

http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/field/2004f.html
The excellent account of the latest excavations from Hierakonpolis has been updated at the Archaeology Magazine website. This issue focuses on the contents of Tomb 9, a Nubian C-Group burial, including an analysis of the tomb's owner herself.

Mataria Obelisk To Be Restored

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o200524z.htm
The obelisk, currently located in a suburb of Cairo called Mataria, was erected by the 12th Dynasty Pharaoh Senusret I. It is 20.4 meters high and weighs 121 tons. It has been decided to subject it to mechanical cleaning.

Nubian Monuments in the Past and Present

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/691/heritage.htm
When Lake Nasser was created, many Nubian monuments were rescued. Others were lost beneath the waters created by the new Aswan Dam. This Al Ahram Weekly article discusses both the prehistory and history of Nubia, and the work done to preserve its heritage.

Unearthing Egypt's Treasures

http://www.projo.com/books/content/projo_20040513_egypt13.1d6998.html
A Providence Journal article about the attitidues of Zahi Hawass to visitors to Egypt.
If you need a username and password, use Andie (username) and Gazelle (password).

Rescuing the Temple of Esna

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o200524m.htm
An Egyptian State Information Service item about the planned restoration of Esna temple. The threat comes from a combination of high underground water and the low level of the Nile water in front of the temple caused by the Esna barrages, and sewage from local housing. This is a major project which involves dismantling the temple and raising it on higher ground.

More about the Saqqara Mummies

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/05/0519_040519_egyptmummies.html
The National Geographic have offered a short summary of what is known about the recently discovered Saqqara mummies. The article also discusses Zahi Hawass and his policies re recovering lost/stolen/smuggled artefacts.

50th Anniversary of Finding of Khufu's Solar Barque Commemorated

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o130524a.htm
The Egyptian State Information Service is to commemorate the finding of the Solar Barque: "Commemorating the 50th anniversary of their discovery, the Supreme Council for Antiquities(SCA) is to hold a series of lectures to highlight the historic and archaeological significance of the boats and their religious implications in the ancient Egyptian doctrine."

Mubarak Opens Luxor Museum Extension

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o190524x.htm
President Mubarak opened the extension to the Luxor Museum, which, kown as the Thebes Glory Hall, examines the military history of Ancient Egypt.
Please note - there is also a considerable amount of commentary quoted about political matters.

Pyramid Workers's Village - Continued

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/690/he2.htm
Zahi Hawass's regular article in Al Ahram Weekly continues his description of different aspects of the Pyramid Workers's village at Giza. This week he looks at the number of people employed, how they were managed, and what they ate.

A boat chapel in the temple of Hathor at Dendera

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/690/he1.htm
A report about a boat chapel found at Dendera earlier this year, discussed in the context of the Dendera site.

Saqqara Mummies

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o140524i.htm
Two more Ptolemaic mummies found in Saqqara

Rescuing the Osirion tomb at Abydos

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o130524.htm
The Egyptian State Information Service report that the Osirion tomb is under serious threat from groundwater and salt damage, following the findings of a Swiss research team. However, it has not yet been decided how to counteract the problem.

Restoration of Kom Ombo

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o130524c.htm
The Ptolomaic site of Kom Ombo has been the subject of an extensive restoration project, which is described in brief in this Egyptian State Information Service feature.

Hardy tourism industry boosts Egypt economy

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/05/12/bi.economy.egypt.tourism.reut/
An article about Egypt's thriving tourist industry. It puts the tourist industry into its political and economic context.

Facility for Archaeological Research at Helwan (FARAH)

http://www.pr.mq.edu.au/macnews/showitem.asp?ItemID=278
This page describes Australia’s first permanent archaeological research facility established in Egypt, and gives an overview of their activities at Helwan - which is helping to clarify the situation from the First to Fourth dynasties, a period of some 400 years. The research is helping to establish how the Egyptian Civilization evolved from Predynastic times through to the pyramid building ages and beyond.

Insects at Amarna

http://www.geotimes.org/may04/NN_plague.html
A study of insect life at Akehnaten's city Amarna (Akhetaten) has revealed that the place was teaming with fleas, flies, bedbugs and parasites, in particular at the tombuilders "Workmens Village". The study by Eva Panagiotakopulu, a paleoentomologist at Sheffield University (UK) believes that the fossilized plague bacteria she identified in the fossilized fleas may indicate that the plague originated in Africa, in fleas that fed on the Nile rat and were only later transferred to Asian rats as carriers, which in turn communicated the plague to the rest of the Mediterranean.

Ancient University of Alexandria Found

http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05092004/nation_w/164862.asp
A Polish-Egyptian team has found the remains of the University of Alexandria. It has been found in a part of modern Alexandria where a theatre had already been identified, now thought to be part of the library complex. 13 large auditoria have been found. The University was legendary and texts describe it, but this is the first time that any part of the library has been discovered. Amongst many renowned scholars who worked there were Euclid and Archimedes.

Pharaonic gold miners' housing compound discovered near Red Sea

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&ncid=1540&e=1&u=/afp/20040504/sc_afp/egypt_antiquities_040504192007
"A Belgian archaeological mission to Egypt discovered a Pharaonic housing compound close to a gold mine in mountains along the Red Sea. . . . Mineshafts and holes, with huts for laborers spread around them, were uncovered, in addition to a huge number of stone instruments used to cut the gold-bearing rocks."

Recent Discoveries at Oxirhynchus Described (Spanish)

http://www.egiptologia.net/isis/epm-02.html
Since 1992 the site has been under the investigation of the University of Barcelona. There are three parts to the Oxyrhynchus’s site under investigation: a painted Christian chapel, a Coptic-Saite Necropolis and an
underground structure dedicated to Osiris.

Czech Egyptology - Parts II and III

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/49372
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/49629
The last two parts of Czech Radio's look at the role of Czech Egyptologists in Egypt, at sites like Abusir. Part II stresses the role of building up good relationships with local people and the SCA, whilst part III looks at the site of Abusir itself and what has been found there. Both are very short articles. The link for Part 1 is contained earlier in this blog,

More on the New Kingdom forts in Sinai

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/688/eg10.htm

"The site includes two limestone forts, one dating from the reign of the XVIIIth-Dynasty Pharaoh Thutmosis III (1475-1425) and the second from the XIXth Dynasty . . . the only remaining part of the first fort was found on the east bank of the Al- Salam Canal. It consists of a moat built on a foundation of between nine and 14 layers of fired red bricks, a material that was only rarely used during the New Kingdom. Only 50 per cent of the second fort has been uncovered" (from Al Ahram weekly)

Geological Development of the Nile

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/688/eg2.htm
Rushdi Said is something of a personal hero of mine - a geologist who has spent a considerable amount of time writing about the Nile's development since its first creation. This knowledge is central to an understanding of prehistoric contexts and how the behaviour of the river at different times influenced daily life in historical Egypt. This Al Ahram weekly article is an interview with Rushdi Said, and offers a summarised description of the Nile's development.

Egypt Tourism Hits Record Figures

http://www.uk.sis.gov.eg/online/html11/o280424m.htm
The Egyptian State Information Service has announced that Egyptian tourism has reached record figures. If true, this must be a huge boost after the terrorst strikes against Egypt in the 90s, when some writers speculated that Egypt's tourism would be permanently damaged.

Egyptian Antiquity Thief Gets 35 Years

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/555965B6-B4C7-4CF2-84E3-2E047896A301.htm
"The ringleader of an Egyptian antiquities smuggling ring that shipped at least 300 pharaonic and other artefacts to Europe has been sentenced to 35 years in prison." From Aljazeera.net