Rare Find by Polish Archaeologists in Egypt

Originally published December 9, 2010 | New from Poland | 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."

Uncovering Secrets of the Sphinx

Originally published January 22, 2010 | Smithsonian Magazine | by Evan Hadingham | An excerpt from February's issue of Smithsonian, which features one of my favorite yet little known archaeologists (Emile Baraize); it's very reminiscent of the PBS/NOVA program that was on a week ago (available for purchase at PBS, in case you missed it):

After decades of research, American archaeologist Mark Lehner has some answers about the mysteries of the Egyptian colossus.

The Sphinx was not assembled piece by piece but was carved from a single mass of limestone exposed when workers dug a horseshoe-shaped quarry in the Giza plateau. Approximately 66 feet tall and 240 feet long, it is one of the largest and oldest monolithic statues in the world. None of the photos or sketches I’d seen prepared me for the scale. It was a humbling sensation to stand between the creature’s paws, each twice my height and longer than a city bus. I gained sudden empathy for what a mouse must feel like when cornered by a cat.

Nobody knows its original name. Sphinx is the human-headed lion in ancient Greek mythology; the term likely came into use some 2,000 years after the statue was built. There are hundreds of tombs at Giza with hieroglyphic inscriptions dating back some 4,500 years, but not one mentions the statue. “The Egyptians didn’t write history,” says James Allen, an Egyptologist at Brown University, “so we have no solid evidence for what its builders thought the Sphinx was....Certainly something divine, presumably the image of a king, but beyond that is anyone’s guess.” Likewise, the statue’s symbolism is unclear, though inscriptions from the era refer to Ruti, a double lion god that sat at the entrance to the underworld and guarded the horizon where the sun rose and set.

Drilling Under the Sphinx

Originally published October 15, 2009 | Heritage Key | by Keith Payne

This entertaining article explores all corners of the fairly recent hydrological work being performed on the Great Sphinx to nip in the bud any possible future water damage to the ancient (and don't forget mysterious!) monument. A video accompanies the information, which also gives lip service to Hawass and Lehner's conclusion that there aren't any subterranean chambers hidden under the Sphinx. Argh! Thanks for ruining it for all the day dreamers :P

The following is an article at Zahi Hawass' Blog of his and Lehner's work at the Giza Necropolis.

Archaeologists Uncover Secrets of Daily Life Among the Great Pyramids of Giza

Originally published June 28, 2009 | The Columbus Dispatch | by Doug Caruso

This article examines what Mark Lehner and his team have uncovered and plan to do with their findings near the Giza Necropolis: lots of structures and streets and plenty of artifacts that give their discoverers a good look at how the pyramid builders and their families lived, all of which will be brought to a lab to be analyzed. The article also lists Lehner's and various members of his team's mission and contributions, particularly to the COSI exhibit, Lost Egypt.

Mark (Lehner) and Me (Zahi Hawass)

Originally published June 30, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Hawass reflects on how he first met Mark Lehner and how they've been close friends since then. He recalls the time when he crossed paths with Lehner's acquaintances who followed the Cayce mythology; when the two joined forces in the States to give 10 lectures across the country; and when he and Lehner worked on their doctorates in the States and eventually when their separate ways upon completion (he to Egypt and Lehner to Chicago). Hawass concludes with how recent filming near the Great Sphinx at Giza brought both men back to their earlier years and past endeavors together.