tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49822489494304819522024-03-13T18:39:49.315-05:00The Egyptian Yell | Egyptology Page NewsChicago-based Egyptological news blog that features all the latest news from Egypt, Ancient Egypt, and the field of Egyptology around the world - recent discoveries, updates on current archaeological endeavors, new exhibits and findings - for Egyptologists, students, and amateur enthusiasts.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.comBlogger549125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-75118308842214034382010-12-10T18:12:00.002-06:002010-12-10T18:17:15.853-06:00In Celebration of Coptic ArtPublished during week of December 9-15, 2010 | <a href="http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/1026/eg13.htm">Al-Ahram Weekly Online</a> | by Nevine El-Aref | Excerpt: <blockquote>Culture Minister Farouk Hosni said Coptic Art Revealed was the first locally- curated exhibition on Coptic art. It focuses on the splendours of the Coptic era and highlights the Copts' outstanding contribution to Egypt's diverse and rich heritage. The exhibition includes several painted icons by renowned artists as well as beautiful textiles; illuminated manuscripts; an excerpt from the famous Nagaa Hammadi scrolls; stone and wooden friezes with intricate Coptic designs and splendid objects for daily use.</blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-43551936604137571162010-12-10T18:07:00.002-06:002010-12-10T18:12:19.636-06:00Rare Find by Polish Archaeologists in EgyptOriginally published December 9, 2010 | <a href="http://www.thenews.pl/international/artykul145104_rare-find-by-polish-archaeologists-in-egypt.html">New from Poland</a> | Congratulations to the Polish team! "Polish archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered the burial places of some 400 people dating back to1 BC or even earlier."egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-67957811572864815892010-12-10T18:02:00.002-06:002010-12-10T18:06:49.741-06:00What Explains a Peaceful Greek Trade City in Ancient Egypt?Originally published December 10, 2010 | <a href="http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/45213/">Kansas City infoZine</a> | by Jeannine Chatterton-Papineau | Excerpt: <blockquote><p>Dr. Alexander Fantalkin of Tel Aviv University's Department of Archaeology is delving deeper into this unique piece of ancient history to come up with a new explanation for how Naukrtis developed, and how its inhabitants managed to operate on foreign soil and create a new sense of common identity.</p><p>The Greeks that inhabited Naukrtis, explains Dr. Fantalkin, may have come from warring city states at home, but they formed a trade settlement in Egypt under the protection of powerful Eastern empires. This link not only brought them together as a culture, but explains how they were allowed to operate in the midst of Egyptian territory. Dr. Fantalkin's theory was recently presented at the Cultural Contexts in Antiquity conference in Innsbruck, Austria, and will soon be published in the proceedings of the conference.</p></blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-30590670338159939002010-12-08T18:21:00.003-06:002010-12-08T18:34:45.599-06:00Math Puzzles’ Oldest Ancestors Took Form on Egyptian PapyrusOriginally published: December 6, 2010 | <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/science/07first.html?_r=3&src=me" title="Click here to read more">the New York Times</a> | by Pam Belluck | In ancient Egypt, math had a practical purpose. I doubt any scribe worth his <span style="font-style:italic;">hekat</span> would question the reason he was solving any of these 85 problems, as modern students in the lower grades tend to do. I would say that it's not so surprising that most of the solutions to the problems in the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus are accurate. Ahmes' estimation of the value for Pi is almost spot-on. Therefore, it's no surprise that this culture built pyramids, the construction of which we moderns still can't fathom pursuing with tools that were known to have been used back them. For lack of a better defense: They were very clever.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-79794198217500857802010-12-06T10:51:00.004-06:002010-12-06T11:00:22.555-06:00Egyptian Bones Could Help Solve Canine ConundrumOriginally published November 29, 2010 | <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,732654,00.html" title="Click here to read more">Spiegel Online International</a> | Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan | Perhaps the secret to the mammalian evolution of <span style="font-style:italic;">canis lupus</span> into the 400 breeds of dogs today, from dachshunds to Great Danes, can be found at Hamunaptra (Well, not <span style="font-style:italic;">per se</span>; rather, the Temple of Anubis at Saqqara...but it's a romantic thought, no?). The article also features an array of beautiful <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-62315.html">art depicting the domesticated dog</a> in ancient Egypt. On a side note, this gives me an idea for another historical fiction novel. I'll save it for the third in the series I'm currently working on, as I'm already working on an outline for the second.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-39282802353947468452010-07-20T17:46:00.003-05:002010-07-20T17:55:14.990-05:00King Tut Secrets Go OnlinePublished July 20, 2010 | <a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135584§ionid=3510212">Press TV</a> | It's a wonder that only a portion of all the data has been published about Tutankhamun. Why excavate if one is going to keep the information gained from it to one's self? I'm glad to see that this is becoming a trend - the trend of disseminating any and all information learned from excavations, scientific experiments, etc. Even better that it will be digitally available. <p>Here's an excerpt from the article:</p><blockquote>An Oxford University scholar has made the information found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter during excavations at Tutankhamun's tomb available online.</blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-25617566485045217942010-06-24T10:51:00.003-05:002010-06-24T11:09:54.047-05:00Conference: Between Geb and Nut - the Egyptian View of the WorldPublished June 11, 2010 | <a href="http://www.elblogdelnilo.com/2010/06/11/marq-tv-conferencia-entre-geb-y-nut-la-vision-egipcia-del-mundo/">El Blog Del Nilo - MARQ</a> | by MARQ and presented by Marina Escolano Poveda | The following is an hour and a half-long video of the June 9th conference presented by Marina at the MARQ. She presents her lecture in Spanish. There is also <a href="http://www.marqalicante.com/Paginas/es/videos-del-canal-deL-Enigma-de-la-momia-P296-M1.html">a link to more videos</a> on the exhibit, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Enigma of the Mummy</span>, provided.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="301"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12480169&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12480169&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="301"></embed></object>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-24230719546318560272010-06-24T10:42:00.003-05:002010-06-24T10:50:40.293-05:00Hieroglyphs Study Day in OxfordPublished June 23, 2010 | <a href="http://archaeologyplanet.blogspot.com/2010/06/hieroglyphics-study-day-oxford.html">Challenging the Past Blog</a> | by Marsia Sfakianou Bealby | Takes place on June 26 from 10:30 to 3:30, Oxford time. Egyptologist-led study day at the Griffith Institute Archive and the Ashmolean Museum, limited to 10 people. Marsia's post also includes an itinerary, which includes taking a look at archival records at the Griffith and examining artifacts at the Ashmolean. Don't forget about the coffee!egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-7505511589068243962010-06-01T08:54:00.003-05:002010-06-01T09:23:12.036-05:00Short Courses at the Manchester in Egyptology Available OnlinePublished May 11, 2010 | <a href="http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/short-courses-in-egyptology-available-online/">Egypt at the Manchester</a> | by Karen Exell | <a href="http://www.knhcentre.manchester.ac.uk/continuingeducation/shortcoursesinegyptology/">The University of Manchester</a> is offering six weeks, non-credit bearing courses in Egyptology-related topics online in October, 2010; February, 2011; and May, 2011. The registration fee per "short course" is £200 (not too shabby; a summer course online at my school is 10 times that!). And for the cherry on top: the director is Professor Rosalie David and the course tutor is Dr. Joyce Tyldesley. You can't get much better than those two scholars!egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-61070299183825975272010-06-01T08:46:00.004-05:002010-06-01T08:54:11.196-05:00Classics and Egyptology Summer Classes at the University of LiverpoolAccessed June 1, 2010 | <a href="http://egyptmanchester.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/ancient-worlds-summer-school-university-of-liverpool-26th-july-6th-august-2010/">Egypt at the Manchester Museum</a> | by Karen Exell | The School of Archaeology at the University of Liverpool is offering a summer school program that runs from July 26 through August 6 for those interested in the Classics or Egyptology. More information, including <a href="http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=egyptmanchester.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fegyptmanchester.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fsace-ancient-worlds-summer-school-booking-form-21.pdf&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fegyptmanchester.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F11%2Fancient-worlds-summer-school-university-of-liverpool-26th-july-6th-august-2010%2F">booking details</a> and <a href="http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=egyptmanchester.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fegyptmanchester.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fsace-summer-school-full-programme-2010.pdf&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fegyptmanchester.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F11%2Fancient-worlds-summer-school-university-of-liverpool-26th-july-6th-august-2010%2F">programme guides</a> are available at the above link.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-50229307839238786182010-05-24T23:46:00.005-05:002010-05-25T00:05:04.872-05:00New Blog - El Blog del NiloAccessed May 20, 2010 | <a href="http://www.elblogdelnilo.com/">El Blog del Nilo</a> | contributions by Marina Escolano Poveda and El Museo Arqueológico de Alicante | This latest addition to the Egyptological blog world is connected to the exhibits "El Enigma de la Momia" and "Objetos Egipcios en Alicante." Both are the newest temporary exhibits to be installed at the Archaeological Museum of Alicante. The following link describes the El enigma de la momia exhibit and features a video that showcases some artifacts and other images relating to it: <a href="http://www.elblogdelnilo.com/acerca-de/">http://www.elblogdelnilo.com/acerca-de/</a>. Do check it out (and the exhibit, if you're in the area) and leave a comment while you're there.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-21799958015769220472010-05-19T22:14:00.003-05:002010-05-19T22:21:56.994-05:00To Bury a Pharaoh - an Interview with Met Curator Dorothea ArnoldPublished May 8, 2010 | <a href="http://www.archaeology.org/online/interviews/dorothea_arnold/">Archaeology Magazine Online</a> | by Eti Bonn-Muller | An interview with Met curator Dorothea Arnold who takes a fresh look at the leftover materials from Tutankhamun's mummification, which are the subject of an exhibit entitled <span style="font-style:italic;">Tutankhamun's Funeral</span> at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Features photos and a very detailed conversation.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-34577283819960441652010-05-15T19:09:00.003-05:002010-05-15T20:15:10.250-05:00Baubles and Bangles Inspired by Ancient EgyptPublished May 12, 2010 | <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/fashion/13POINTS.html">The New York Times</a> | by Susan Joy | Many of these jewelry pieces inspired by Ancient Egypt are not as gaudy or gimmicky as you'd think. In fact, they are very beautiful and expertly made. Here's an excerpt - click the above link to read the rest, which also includes a great picture showcasing some of the jewelry: <blockquote>Two of this year’s nominees for the accessories award that the Council of Fashion Designers of America will bestow next month found their way to Egypt via quite different routes. The Fallon designer Dana Lorenz, whose current collection is filled with ancient Egyptian iconography, admits to an obsessive addiction to the television series “Lost,” which she regards as “deeply embedded with Egyptian symbolism and hieroglyphs.” Her collection acquired its “spiritual and aesthetic inspiration,” she said, when, in the same week, she found “an incredible vintage King Tut pendant” and caught Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra” on TCM.</blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-23277236126273788372010-03-29T18:02:00.005-05:002010-03-29T18:20:11.245-05:00False Door from Vizier's Tomb DiscoveredOriginally published March 29, 2010 | <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_antiquities">Yahoo! News</a> and AP | An announcement about the very recent uncovering of a false door near the Temple of Karnak at Luxor of a royal 15th century B.C.E vizier. As with many ancient Egyptian artifacts, particularly those that are brick-like, it was reused for another building project during the Graeco-Roman Era. Although there is a picture of the find, I'd like to see a bigger one that showcases the inscriptions. It would be great practice for those, like me, who are currently studying ancient Egyptian. Should I find a great photograph of the false door, I shall post it here for the benefit of scholars and enthusiasts alike. For now, here is a decent picture where you can kind of make out the hieroglyphic signs, which is the typical offering formula you find on many funerary scenes:<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.drhawass.com/sites/drhawass.com/files/u3424/UserStela1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 525px; height: 700px;" src="http://www.redorbit.com/modules/imglib/download.php?Url=/modules/news/upload/81fd3e979df25fdfb56823db59937af8.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-29988809772312388172010-03-24T14:16:00.001-05:002010-03-24T16:40:16.808-05:00The Role of Women in Egypt's History Lecture - My Review<p>"What does Egypt have to do with Chicago?," you might wonder. I certainly do not, as I have come to know the rich cultural connection between this beautiful city and an ancient one and the many Egyptological opportunities that proliferate through its haunted streets and heavily embellished theaters, some having been frequented by the most infamous gangsters, from Dillinger to Capone. However, Chicago has cleared itself (mostly) clean of its corrupt history and has welcomed programs, events, and celebrations that have cultivated it into an Egyptological hot-spot, boasting names (both fictional and real) like Indiana Jones and Rick O'Connell; mystery writer, Elizabeth Peters; and Dr. Emily Teeter, whom you may have seen give commentary on the Discovery and History channels.</p><p>As evidence of the aforementioned, there had taken place just recently a free lecture entitled <span style="font-style:italic;">The Role of Women in Egypt's History</span>, as given by Ambassador Nihad Zikry, Assistant Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Although it wasn't entirely about ancient Egypt, a subject that she used to introduce her presentation, it did give me an appreciation for modern Egyptian women like her who have been raised in a country - like so many others - where the advancement of women has been a slow process. It was the perfect presentation to attend on <span style="font-style:italic;">International Women's Day</span>, indeed. There were quite a few men in attendance too - I brought one of them with me.</p><p>Ambassador Zikry started her presentation off with saying that the important role of women is not a newly acquired achievement; women throughout all history and cultures have consistently exhibited this endeavor, this inevitable desire. After all, "in ancient Egypt, the deity of wisdom was a woman, not a man." I'd have to disagree with that statement, as Thoth is the chief deity of wisdom. However, there are many powerful female deities worth a mention. You have Seshat, consort of Thoth (how appropriate that she's his counterpart), the goddess of writing, lady-scribe to the pharaohs and all Egyptian kings throughout Dynastic Egypt, Mistress of the Books. Without her skill and duty to write the names of the newly crowned rulers on the leaves of a sacred tree to preserve forever their names, they wouldn't've been known to their successors. Then you have Ma'at and Shai, goddess of social and religious order, truth, and justice and goddess of fate, respectively, key players during the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony. Without these goddesses, Osiris, his Four Sons, and the 42 Judges would have been unable to determine fairly the outcome of a decedent's otherworldly trial, leaving the dead person unadmitted into the Afterlife. It's very interesting indeed that Ambassador Zikry mentioned that the highest position a modern Egyptian woman has attained is a judge, when you consider that, in ancient times, women were portrayed as deities of judgment. Finally, there are the Seven Hathors, septuplets with the power of foresight, the ability to determine the future of a newborn Egyptian child's life, particularly it's death. You can add to that list as many Egyptian goddesses as you wish. Those are my contributions.</p><p>Ambassador Nihad Zikry also spoke briefly of Hatshepsut, how she took up the highest achievement any ancient Egyptian could attain at the time - that of king. I append the following pre-Dynasty 18 queens to the list of powerful Egyptian women, who mostly like reigned as king in their own right: Mer-Neith of Dynasty 1, Ni-Ma-et of Dynasty 3, Sobek-Neferu of Dynasty 12, Ah-Hotep I of Dynasty 17, and quite possibly Tiye and Nefertiti of Dynasty 18. As a side note, I'd add that this achievement has never been neither matched following her long and prosperous reign or her predecessors' reigns, nor allowed ever again until Cleopatra VII, who had to commit many sinful acts to maintain that power (I don't blame her). Following Dynasty 18, with help from Djehuti-Mes III, kings/pharaohs never called their wives "God's Wife of Amun" again, as it was a powerful title, one that made royal queens practically, if not actually, equal to their kings in status.</p><p>These are just reminders that women can be as successful in higher positions as men are, even if they don't think, feel, or express themselves in similar ways. So, to all women of the world, if a man tries to throw religious dogma or prejudice in your face as justification for being superior, you make sure you give him a lecture on the "reasons" their opinion is unjustified.</p><p>Man fears time, time fears the pyramids, the pyramids fear Mother Nature.</p><p><span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Links:</span></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/123979/the_role_of_women_in_ancient_egypt.html?cat=37">Article: the Role of Women in Ancient Egypt</a></li><li><a href="http://www.arcechicago.com/">American Research Center in Egypt Chicago Chapter</a></li><li><a href="http://oi.uchicago.edu/museum/egypt/">The Egyptian Gallery at the Oriental Institute</a></li><li><a href="http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en.html">Explore Chicago</a></li></ul>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-82917069470745917382010-03-23T23:06:00.003-05:002010-03-23T23:25:16.946-05:00Lecture - The Tomb of Sennedjem: Little Jewel in the Beginning of Spanish EgyptologyAccessed March 18, 2010 | <a href="http://ivde.org/conferencias/conferencia-tt1-la-tumba-de-sennedyem-en-valencia-por-marina-escolano">Instituto Valenciano de Egiptología</a> | Join Marina Escolano, out of the EES and Durham University (among many other places), at the Royal Agricultural Society and Sports (C / Comedy, 12 - Valencia) on May 27 at 7:30pm for a free lecture she will be presenting on the tomb of Sennedjem, the discovery of which included a Spaniard, Eduard Toda i Güell. This announcement is in Spanish; click here to access an <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fivde.org%2Fconferencias%2Fconferencia-tt1-la-tumba-de-sennedyem-en-valencia-por-marina-escolano&sl=es&tl=en">English translation</a>. The link above gives a brief intro to TT1 and a nice description about my friend, Marina. Congratulations on your Fulbright scholarship!egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-53240310824728902452010-03-23T22:19:00.006-05:002010-03-23T23:05:18.582-05:00Organic Preservation - a Petrie Museum VideoOriginally published March 23, 2010 | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U01cJPTE4uQ">UCLMuseums YouTube Channel</a> | A short video documenting an intern's conservation efforts on some shabtis figures. If you frequent YouTube, perhaps you might <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/UCLMuseums">subscribe to UCLMuseums' channel</a>.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-87170087900977476522010-03-23T21:47:00.005-05:002010-03-23T22:16:23.415-05:00The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus OnlineAccessed March 23, 2010 | <a href="http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/ttp/flash/smith/smith.html">US National Library of Medicine</a> | For those passionate about papyrology and the ancient Egyptian writing system, here's an amazing find on the web: the Edwin Smith Papyrus, a digitized image and interactive experience that lets you unroll this medical papyrus and read it (if you are so inclined). There is also additional information about this historic document. Talk about preserving the past. Now we can enjoy this artifact repeatedly without having to worry about contributing to its deterioration.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-47825053694867052242010-03-23T21:41:00.003-05:002010-03-23T21:46:11.956-05:00KV63 - an Update from Jane AksharOriginally published March 19, 2010 | <a href="http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2010/03/kv63-march-2010-dr-otto-schaden.html">Luxor News</a> | by Jane Akshar | Jane details the latest about KV63: excavation work, restoration, etc. Follow the above link to read more. Here's an excerpt: <blockquote><p>Otto opened the lecture by reminding us that whatever KV63 finally turns out to be it will always be the first tomb discovered since the tomb of Tutankhamen. It started with a search for foundation deposits for the tomb of KV10. Excavation revealed 2 huts to the west and 10 huts to the east. These were used by the workman who lived in the valley and filled with ostracha and other artifacts. Theodore Davies had excavated the east most huts 10, 9 and 9a but left the central area. Under hut 5 they found KV63. Consisting of a single chamber with a stack of 8 coffins and 28 huge storage jars. This season they have been working on restoration of the coffins and the contents of the jars. Within these jars they have found natron, pots, textiles and the ‘embalming bed’ that is now in the mummification museum. </p></blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-4938247355482450232010-03-23T21:24:00.006-05:002010-03-23T21:36:53.349-05:00Solving the "Blue" Mystery - New Kingdom PotteryOriginally published March 17, 2010 | <a href="http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/20426.aspx">Washington University in St. Louis</a> | by Diana Lutz | An excerpt:<blockquote><p>What was she doing in the tunnel?</p><p>The answer: seeking an uncontaminated sample of a mineral that might have been the key ingredient in the blue used to decorate "blue painted pottery" popular among the Egyptian elite during the New Kingdom (1550-1079 BC).</p><p>Colleague Colin A. Hope, PhD, an expert in blue painted pottery, had asked if she wouldn’t help him pin down the source of the blue pigment by sampling and analyzing material from the mine.<p>Hope and Smith, together with Paul Kucera, a doctoral student at Monash University in Australia who first identified the mines, describe the pottery, the mines and the mineral in a chapter of Beyond the Horizon, a festschrift for the Egyptologist Barry A. Kemp</p></blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-52376603881582516822010-03-23T21:19:00.003-05:002010-03-23T21:24:35.718-05:00New Statues Found at Kom el-HettanOriginally published March 21, 2010 | <a href="http://www.drhawass.com/blog/press-release-new-statues-found-kom-el-hettan?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DrhawasscomWritings+%28DrHawass.com+-+Writings+by+Dr.+Zahi+Hawass+Feed%29">Zahi Hawass' Blog</a> | by Dr. Hawass | Press release announcement from Zahi Hawass about the unearthing of two red granite statues of King Amenhotep III and of the god Thoth near the Pharaoh’s funerary temple at Kom el-Hettan on Luxor’s west bank by an Egyptian team. Includes a photo and related links.egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-21496618701133865762010-03-14T14:31:00.004-05:002010-03-14T14:56:13.410-05:00Avenue of Lost Sphinxes to be Unveiled SoonOriginally published March 14, 2010 | <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7060963.ece">Times Online</a> | by Matthew Campbell | I have a love-hate relationship with this endeavor - that of uncovering and restoring the Avenue of the Sphinxes. I commend the restoration work, but wish the effort wasn't a rushed affair. It's archaeology - it should be a slow process, not only to take care with ancient artifacts, but to avoid making mistakes (historical and ethical). Yes, it's a great future touristic hot-spot, but catering to tourism should come second to good archaeology.</p><p>The following is an excerpt:</p><blockquote><p>A HIDDEN wonder of the ancient world is to be unveiled in Egypt after excavation of the first stretch of a two-mile avenue lined with hundreds of carved sphinxes.</p><p>Built more than 3,000 years ago, the so-called Avenue of Sphinxes linked two giant temples and was used once a year for a religious procession. It was gradually buried by silt and built over after falling out of use in the 5th century AD.</p><p>Now it is being uncovered and the first part is expected to open within weeks. Visitors will have the chance to stroll under the imperious gaze of the sphinxes — mythological creatures with the body of a lion and head of a human or ram.</p><p>...</p><p>Controversy has surrounded the project, not least because of the speed of the excavation in which bulldozers have cut a 100-yard trench through some of the densely populated districts of Luxor.</p><p>Foreign archeologists say historical buildings have been demolished to make way for a lucrative new attraction.</p></blockquote>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-23509825855070921902010-03-14T14:20:00.004-05:002010-03-14T14:30:23.558-05:00Video - Behenu's Burial ChamberAccessed March 13, 2010 | <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/news/video/popup?videoId=56335617&videoChannel=77&pos=33.851">Reuters</a> | This is a nice video documenting the recent discovery of Queen Behenu's intact burial chamber at Saqqara. Whereas before (in articles announcing the discovery) you couldn't really see the beautiful inscriptions, you can with this video. If you have a minute or two, I encourage you to watch it.<p></p><p><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://static.reuters.com/resources/flash/include_video_aculios.swf?edition=UK&videoId=56335617" width="400" height="300"><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.reuters.com/resources/flash/include_video_aculios.swf?edition=UK&videoId=56335617" /><embed src="http://www.reuters.com/resources/flash/include_video_aculios.swf?edition=UK&videoId=56335617" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></p>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-86939877288477603802010-03-14T14:15:00.002-05:002010-03-14T14:19:46.474-05:00Excavations in the Valley of the KingsOriginally published March 14, 2010 | <a href="http://www.drhawass.com/blog/excavations-valley-kings?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DrhawasscomWritings+%28DrHawass.com+-+Writings+by+Dr.+Zahi+Hawass+Feed%29">Zahi Hawass' Blog</a> | by Dr. Hawass | An excerpt: <p>One of the most famous sites in Egypt has always been the Valley of the Kings, which has revealed to us such wonders as the tomb of Tutankhamun. However, all of the major discoveries of the past were made by foreign archaeologists. I was determined that Egyptian archaeologists should become part of the process of excavation and discovery, so in November 2007, the first all-Egyptian team to ever work in the Valley began excavating the area behind the tomb of Merenptah.</p><p>In the cliffs behind the tomb we discovered channels that the ancient Egyptians dug to redirect the “tears of the gods,” the flood, in order to preserve the tombs. In the course of our excavations, we recorded many new graffiti in the Valley and found many ostraca, which are pieces of limestone or pottery with drawings and inscriptions. The inscriptions found were very interesting, including a picture of an old lady, the cartouche of Ramses II and many descriptions and other things.</p>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982248949430481952.post-82766225753291776252010-03-03T11:43:00.003-06:002010-03-03T11:47:55.744-06:00Burial Chamber of Ancient Egyptian Queen UnearthedOriginally published March 3, 2010 | <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100303/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_antiquities">Yahoo! News</a> and AFP | For all of you hieroglyphic inscription fans, this find should be a fascinating one for you (it is for me). Recently discovered in Saqqara was a burial chamber of an obscure Old Kingdom Queen. The following is an excerpt from this article at Yahoo! News: <blockquote><p>"We are excited because the texts are well conserved," he told The Associated Press, adding that the queen's titles were written on the walls of the 33 by 16 foot (10 meter by 5 meter) burial chamber inside her small pyramid.</p><p>The text is primarily concerned with protecting the queen's remains and her transition to afterlife.</p><p>Collombert called the queen "mysterious," and said it was not clear whether she was the wife of King Pepi I or II, two long-ruling pharaohs of the Sixth Dynasty.</p></blockquote><p>Another source reporting on the same news can be found at <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6223MQ20100303">Reuters</a> and my favorite place to frequent on the web, <a href="http://heritage-key.com/blogs/ann/queen-behenus-burial-chamber-discovered-saqqara?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hkdigest+%28Heritage+Key+Digest%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Heritage Key</a>.</p>egyptianscholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940805343103680426noreply@blogger.com0