Lecture - Mummies, Science, and Egyptology II

Originally published February 3, 2010 | The University of Manchester | The University of Manchester and presenter Dr. Rosalie David will be hosting a lecture entitled Mummies, Science and Egyptology II on Saturday, February 6 to discuss the scientific study of Ancient Egyptian mummies, which will include the question, "Was the great Pharaoh Ramesses II a true redhead?" The day school will also reveal how modern scientific investigations and archaeological research are helping to reveal more about the lives of other Ancient Egyptians: Horemkenesi, high priest of Amun at Karnak; Meresamun, a temple singer; and Asetirikhetes, the Ptolemaic mummy from 305 B.C.E. Follow the link to book a spot for yourself.

Founder’s Archaeological Journey to Middle East Featured in Oriental Institute Exhibit

Originally published January 6, 2010 | Oriental Institute | by William Harms |

This article promotes the newest exhibit in the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute Museum called Pioneers of the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919-1920. It also includes background history of the exhibit's inspiration, J. H. Breasted, and the goals of this exhibit.

Attendance is free, with a suggested donation rate for adults ($7) and children ($4) (very minimal, considering admission to most museums).

Here's an excerpt from the article:

A new exhibition at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute Museum chronicles an amazing and sometimes dangerous journey 90 years ago by James Henry Breasted, a famed archaeologist who brought back Egyptian artifacts to Chicago.

Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919–1920, opens Tuesday, Jan. 12 and will feature artifacts as well as photos and letters documenting the journey of Breasted, who was the first American to receive a Ph.D. in Egyptology.

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.

The Oriental Institute is on Facebook

Updated September 22, 2009 | The OI Blog | by Charles Ellwood Jones

If you haven't discovered it already, there are many Oriental Institute groups and pages on Facebook. If you are on Facebook and are an archaeology enthusiast, perhaps you'd like to "friend" Meresamun or the OI at the University of Chicago or catch all the latest research updates at the Research Archives of the OI. Follow the above link to find more places on Facebook to become connect with OI.

Ancient Mummy's Face Recreated With CT Scans

Originally published June 25, 2009 | Fox News | by Clara Moskowitz

More regarding the facial reconstruction of Meresamun's face, featuring both artists' renderings. The artwork is now on display at the Oriental Institute in Chicago.

Cold Case Techniques Bring Mummy's Face to Life

Originally published June 22, 2009 | The University of Chicago News

This article features information straight from the source at the University of Chicago about the facial reconstruction of Meresamun's face. The post provides links to the institution's special web and Facebook pages dedicated to and high resolution images of the artists' recreations of her. There is also a video featured.

Forensic Artists Put Different Faces on 2,800-Year-Old Mummy

Originally published June 21, 2009 | Chicago Tribune | by William Mullen

This article describes the people involved in reconstructing Meresamun's likeness--Emily Teeter, the curator of the Oriental Institute's Meresamun exhibit and Josh Harker and Mike Brassell, the artists; the life and times of Meresamun; and how beneficial CT scanning was to not only creating parts of the exhibit, but also reconstructing Meresamun's face.

Meresamun's Facial Reconstruction - Interview with Josh Harker

Accessed June 18, 2009 | Archaeology Magazine Online | by Eti Bonn-Muller

Read Josh Harker's personal reactions to the process of bringing Meresamun's 3-D image to life using digital media. Pictures of his work accompany this article, along with a link to his web site.

Meresamun's Facial Reconstruction - Interview with Michael Brassell

Accessed June 18, 2009 | Archaeology Magazine Online | by Eti Bonn-Muller

Get Michael Brassell's personal reactions to the process of bringing Meresamun's image to life using pencil and digital media.

Getting By On Her Looks

Accessed June 18, 2009 | Archaeology Magazine Online | by Eti Bonn-Muller

After having worked with two forensic artists, Emily Teeter of the Oriental Institute tells Archaeology about the process of reconstructing Meresamun's face. The article is completed with stunning pictures, a video, and links to the interviews with the two forensic artists.

KMT's Current Summer 2009 Issue

Accessed June 2, 2009 | KMT

Provides images of the cover and the table of contents of and a list of seven featured articles in the latest issue of KMT: a Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt.

Computed Tomography Scanning of Meresamun

Originally published May 18, 2009 | SPIE | by Emily Teeter and Michael Vannier
Hoping to start a new tradition of sharing information about data obtained from CT scanning Egyptian mummies (because Emily Teeter seemed to dislike the fact that radiologists were scanning mummies but not sharing their data, making it an almost useless task, per her mini lecture at the Oriental Institute on May 17), Emily Teeter and Michael Vannier present the latest data on the recent CT scanning of the mummy of Meresamun, still sealed within her coffin, even though it had been at the OI since the 1920s (fortunately, it wasn't featured in a disgusting unwrapping party, the likes of which had been a common occurrence during that time). The article features findings from and differences in equipment used in a previous scanning session in 1991 and and from September 2008. It also features mini bios of the article's authors and several resources, both in print and online.