New Statues Found at Kom el-Hettan

Originally published March 21, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | 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.

Massive Head Of Pharaoh Unearthed In Egypt

Originally published February 28, 2010 | NPR and AP | An excerpt:

Archaeologists have unearthed the massive head of one Egypt's most famous pharoahs who ruled nearly 3,400 years ago, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities announced Sunday.

The head of Amenhotep III, which alone is about the height of a person, was found in the ruins of the pharaoh's mortuary temple in the southern city of Luxor.

Strolling on the Avenue of Sphinxes

Originally published February 11, 2010 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online | by Nevine El-Aref | Tourists will soon be able to see two sections of the Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor looking much as they did in the days of the Pharaohs. Nevine El-Aref takes a stroll down the path of priests and princes in her very detailed article regarding this very exciting excavation program.

New Discovery of Greek Cat Goddess Temple at Alexandria

Originally published January 19, 2010 | Dr. Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass | Naturally, I'm going to direct you to the more authoritative source of this latest discovery - at Dr. Hawass' Blog, of course. Here is an excerpt from his post:

An archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) led by Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, Head of Antiquities of Lower Egypt, discovered the remains of a temple of Queen Berenike, the wife of king Ptolemy III (246-222 BC), along with a cachette of 600 Ptolemaic statues.

An inscribed base of a granite statue from the reign of King Ptolemy IV (205-222 BC) was also unearthed. It bears ancient Greek text written in nine lines stating that the statue belonged to a top official in the Ptolemaic court. Dr. Maqsoud believes the base was made to celebrate Egypt’s victory over the Greeks during the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC.

Yahoo! News has two resources covering the same discovery:

• Ancient Greek Temple Found in Alexandria
• Egypt Announces Find of Ancient Cat Goddess Temple

Massive Statue of Taharqa Found In Sudan

Originally published December 29, 2009 | Heritage Key | by Owen Jarus | A small blurb about the newly discovered one ton granite statue of Taharqa, a 25th Dynasty Egyptian ruler, including a bit of background history of the Napatan pharaoh and previous discoveries made in the Sudan in 2008 (only recently made public on December 20, 2009 - follow the link to read the original announcement).

Photos - The Secrets of Tomb 10A at MFA

Originally published October 22, 2009 | The Phoenix | by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

The following is a pictographic slideshow of sorts, illustrating different scenes from tomb 10A, a preview of an upcoming exhibit focusing mainly around a noble named Djehutynakht and his wife. Some of the artifacts include wooden model scenes, a coffin, statuettes, the mummy head of Djehutynakht (with one less tooth, I'd imagine), and vintage photographs from the tomb of Djehutynakht from 1915.

Highlights from the OI Collection: Egypt

Originally published October 6, 2009 | the Oriental Institute

The 'Highlights From The Collection' web page for Ancient Egypt has been updated, showcasing and detailing thirteen objects from the Oriental Institute’s collection, accompanied by photographs. These objects include funerary objects and masks, papyri, statues and figures, reliefs and stelae, coffins, and magic bricks, just to name a few. You can sort these objects by subject and region.

Museums in Alexandria - Zahi Hawass' Visit and Lecture

Originally published October 7, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Artifacts from Brooklyn Museum Explores the Afterlife

Originally published September 27, 2009 | Art Daily

Arts Center Readies for Egypt Exhibition

Originally published September 15, 2009 | Arkansas Online | by the Associated Press

The Art of the Amarna Period

Originally published August 20 - 26, 2009 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online

The inspiration for this article comes in the form of a statue of an Amarna princess of unknown origins. The estimated time of its creation is the Amarna Period. With that, the rest of the article chronicles the life and times of Akhenaten, his wife Nefertiti, their children, and their life and religion that was the foundation for what is known as the Amarna Period.

I think this period is the most intriguing due to its complete lack of interest in the norm in Egyptian art and religion (perhaps it's better said that Akhenaten was uninterested in keeping to old traditions). You have to admire him for his originality and passion for his family.

Amarna: Ancient Egypt's Place in the Sun

Originally published August 5, 2009 | Art Museum Journal | by Stan Parchin

The following is an excerpt from Art Museum Journal:

The long-term exhibition Amarna: Ancient Egypt's Place in the Sun at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia debuted on November 12, 2006. Expertly designed by the McMillan Group, the state-of-the-art installation features more than 100 artifacts from Akhetaten (present-day el-Amarna), the desert capital of heretical Pharaoh AKhenaten (r. 1353-1336 B.C.) and the birthplace of Tutankhamun (r. 1332-1322 B.C.). All of the objects on view come from Penn Museum's collection of Egyptian antiquities.

Follow the above link to read this in its entirety. Features a link to the Penn Museum, exhibit information, photos of some of the artifacts in the collection with descriptions, and a link to resources for the Amarna period.

Exhibit - World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed

Accessed August 1, 2009 | Arkansas Arts Center

World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed explores the long-vanished world of ancient Egypt. This Egyptian exhibition is the first ever held in Arkansas. More than 200 mangificent objects, including mummies, a majestic colossus of Ramses the Great, Egyptian art, jewelry, statues, sculptures, and funerary artifacts, tell the story of not just how the Egyptians died, but how they lived!

Click the above link to visit the Arkansas Arts Center's official exhibit web site for ticket information, exhibit duration, and program details.

Picture - Anubis Statue at de Young

Originally published July 22, 2009 | TwitPic

It's a slow news day, as you can tell, but that shouldn't discredit this interesting find any. I wonder if anyone sells life sized statues so that I can put one in my room.

Hawass' Trip to San Francisco and Indianapolis

Originally published July 6, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Zahi Hawass tells of his busy schedule in the States, including attending the exhibit openings at de Young and the Children's Museum, speaking a press conference, attending a party and dinner in both states, and beaming over artifacts he discovered that are featured in the Children's Museum exhibit.

King Tut's Menagerie: Animal Gods in Ancient Egypt

Originally published June 29, 2009 | SF International Insight Travel Examiner | by Laurie McAndish King

King showcases several of the artifacts from Tutankhamun's exhibit, currently at the M.H. de Young Museum. Each artifact is accompanied by a picture and a brief description. Exhibit and museum information is provided at the bottom.

Mubarak Sends Greeting Message to Egypt's "Sunken Treasures Exhibition" in Japan

Originally published June 24, 2009 | Egypt State Information Service

Egypt State Information Services announces the opening of an exhibit called Egypt's Sunken Treasures, which runs from June 27 through September 23 and will feature nearly 500 Ptolemaic Period artifacts that Egyptian archaeologists salvaged from the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria.

A special event - a tourist week - will run from June 20 through July 5 in conjunction with the exhibit.

Press Release - New Discoveries at Saqqara

Originally published June 24, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

While performing routine conservation work, Egyptian archaeologists stumble upon some artifacts inside a deep hole near the southern side of the Step Pyramid, the likes of which are illustrated in pictures in this press release.

Upcoming Exhibitions: World of the Pharaohs-Arkansas Arts Center

Accessed June 15, 2009 | Arkansas Art Center

On display at the Arkansas Art Center from September 25, 2009 through July 5, 2010 are over 200 artifacts from Ancient Egypt. The upcoming exhibit is entitled World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed and showcases funerary objects, mummies, and more.

A beautiful picture accompanies the announcement, followed by a detailed descriptor of that picture.