False Door from Vizier's Tomb Discovered

Originally published March 29, 2010 | Yahoo! News 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:

Three Decades of Discovery - New Insight to Egypt’s Past

Accessed February 14, 2010 | Egypt Today | by May Kaddah | Over the last three decades, technological advancement has allowed archaeologists to answer longstanding questions and refute misconceptions about missing details of Egypt’s history. From the remains of ancient rulers to Napoleon’s flagship, Egypt Today takes you through some of archaeology’s most significant discoveries in the last 30 years, which includes the following topics: tombs of the pyramid builders, the Valley of the Golden Mummies, DNA analysis of Hatshepsut's tooth, the Theban Mapping Project, tomb of Rameses II's sons, underwater archaeology at Alexandria, and more.

More Regarding the Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor

Originally published February 3, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Zahi Hawass | More details about the excavations at Luxor on the Sphinx Alley including the latest developments, the long history of contributors to the Alley and its surroundings, and more. Here's an excerpt:

Hosni said that the Avenue of Sphinxes, built by the 30th Dynasty king Nectanebo I (380-362 BC), is 2,700 meters long and 76 meters wide, and lined with a number of statues in the shape of sphinxes. Hosni added that the avenue is one of the most important archaeological and religious paths in Luxor, as it was the location of important religious ceremonies in ancient times, most notably the Opet festival. Queen Hatshepsut (1502-1482 BC) recorded on her red chapel in Karnak temple that she built six chapels dedicated to the god Amun-Re on the route of this avenue during her reign, emphasizing that it was long a place of religious significance.

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Dr. Hawass explained that the work was carried out in three phases; the first was to build a low wall alongside the avenue in order to preserve it from any further encroachment, the second phase is the excavation and the third is restoration of the area.

Excavators unearthed a collection of Roman buildings and workshops of clay pots and statues as well as several reliefs. One of the reliefs bears the cartouche of Queen Cleopatra VII (51-30 BC). Dr. Hawass believes that this queen likely visited this avenue during her Nile trip with Mark Anthony and implemented restoration work that was marked with her cartouche.

Two articles by Ann Wuyts written for the Independent report on the same story: Excavation and Restoration on the Avenue of Sphinxes and Temple Fragment Return to Egypt and Its Place

Cairo Exhibition Showcases Ancient and Modern Egyptian Portraits

Originally published January 14, 2010 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online | by Reham El-Adawi | The following is an excerpt from this article that chronicles a new exhibit at the Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum's Horizon One Gallery in Giza, which examines the attractive theme of the human face, showcasing artists' point of view in depicting Egyptian faces:

Bisar also traces the history of portraiture from ancient Egyptian times to the modern age. Ancient Egyptian portraitists were admired for their craftsmanship and technique, with forms including murals, bas-reliefs and sculptures being common. Devotion and a sense of belonging were developed in sculptures depicting kings and members of the royal family, with one famous example being the portrait bust of Queen Nefertiti done by an ancient Egyptian sculptor.

Photo - Philae Temple

Originally published October 16, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Photo Blog | photo credited to the SCA

The temple of Isis at Philae is one of the most beautiful and best preserved Greco-Roman temples in Egypt. Most of the temple was built by the Ptolemaic rulers as part of their promotion of the cult of Isis, which lasted well into the Roman Period. In the 1970’s the temple was relocated to preserve it from the rising waters resulting from the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

International Conference - Achievements and Problems of Modern Egyptology

Accessed September 15, 2009 | CESRAS (Centre for Egyptological Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

Coming to Moscow September 29 - October 4, 2009, the CESRAS will host an international conference to share experience between scholars of different countries and to discuss the latest achievements in the field of Egyptology and Egyptian archaeology, study of history, culture, religion and languages of Ancient, Graeco-Roman and Coptic Egypt. In addition, there is an exhibit associated with the conference called The Royal Cache. Secrets of Pharaohs, which features objects from the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Follow the above link to information about the committee, the themes, location, and fees of the conference, and contacts.

Sydney Scan Solves Mummy's Sex Riddle

Originally published June 17, 2009 | ABC News - Australia | by Rebecca Baillie.

CT scans reveal that a mummy once thought to have been a girl is actually a boy. This article features an accompanying video.

New Finds Span Time - New Discoveries in Alexandria and the Fayoum

Originally published 21 - 27 May 2009 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online | by Nevine El-Aref

Described forthwith is the most recent discovery at the Shallalat Gardens in Alexandria: a white marble statue of an athletic Alexander the Great, with a detailed account of its features from Kalliopi Limneou-Popakosta, attributing each element to different types of sculptural styles.

Giving credit to the developing importance of this site, El-Aref mentions last year's discovery: a statue of Ptolemy V and statues featuring Bacchus.

In addition, the SCA's discoveries at Al-Karn Al-Zahali Island include prehistoric hunting and medicine tools; needles and jewelry; and 25 rock-hewn tombs nearby, complete with human skeletons. These artifacts reveal the site's long history of use, which spans from prehistoric times to the Islamic era.

Video - The Search for Antony and Cleopatra

Originally published May 18 | Dr. Zahi Hawass' Blog

Dr. Hawass takes you inside a mysterious temple that could have been the tomb of the famed Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. In a video he describes the latest information about and shares his thoughts on the possibility of at least three likely areas within a large Greco-Roman cemetary just outside the Temple of Taposiris Magna near Alexandria being the location of their resting place.