Lecture & Symposium - Radiocarbon Dating & Egyptian Chronology

Accessed February 16, 2010 | University of Oxford | On March 17 and 18, the Research Laboratory for Archaeology & the History of Art, Oxford University will host a conference about radiocarbon dating and the Egyptian chronology. Accompanying this conference is a free public lecture and reception at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and a symposium (admission fee) that will discuss the results of the Egyptian Chronology Project (a program with the aim to investigate the consistency of the historical chronology with dates obtained via the radiocarbon method) at the Ashmolean Museum. For more detailed information, please visit the above web site. There is also a conference schedule available.

New Publication - Giza Mastabas

Originally published January 27, 2010 | David Brown Book Company | by Peter Der Manuelian | For those of you who are faced with difficulty in finding an Egyptological book that you don't have, here's a new publication (I will certainly have it on my bookshelf ones of these days. Here's an excerpt:

West of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu laid out scores of mastaba tombs for the elite members of ancient Egyptian society. Specific clusters of tombs seem to form architectural and archaeological units, prompting the modern division of the Giza Necropolis into discrete nucleus cemeteries. This book interprets the complete archaeological record of the mastabas of Cemetery G 2100, one of the six nucleus cemeteries at Giza. As a key to understanding Old Kingdom mortuary development at Giza, it explores the distinguishing features of such a grouping of tombs and tomb owners: relative chronology and individual artistic styles; common administrative titles, possible familial connections to the king; and the relationship of the earlier, major mastabas to the subsequent, minor burials surrounding them.

The web site also features an excerpt from the book itself, a batch of 3D photos featured in the book, notes about the author, and related publications.

Video - Beautiful Mummy Found at Saqqara

Originally published September 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Mummy's the Word

Originally published August 27, 2009 | Arkansas Times Blog | by Max Brantley

The following is a tiny blurb about the opening of an exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center called World of the Pharaohs, which begins September 25. This particular source features a mummy dating to the Old Kingdom (you can't see me right now, but I'm bouncing up and down; never have I seen an Old Kingdom mummy or though such had stood the test of time!)

Touring the New York City Obelisks

Originally published August 19, 2009 | Archaeology Magazine Online | by Morgan Moroney

Below is an excerpt from this article at Archaeology Magazine Online, which features descriptions and expandable pictures of Egyptian obelisks around the world, including Cleopatra's Needle in London, England and Ramesses II's obelisks at Place de la Concorde in Paris, France. At the bottom there are links to previous and further stories on obelisks (not necessarily Egyptian):

The obelisk originated during Egypt's Old Kingdom (2584-2117 B.C.) as a small solid structure associated with the sun-deity Re. Pharaoh Senworset I (1974-1929 B.C.) constructed the first giant obelisk at Heliopolis during the Middle Kingdom (2066-1650 B.C). Giant Egyptian obelisks weigh hundreds of tons and are composed of solid pieces of granite quarried at Aswan in southern Egypt. Modern obelisks, big and small, are found all over the world and the U.S. from the Washington Monument, to war memorials, to the grave markers of presidents (Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln's tombs all include obelisk memorials). New York City is filled with obelisks, and a tour of them will take you all over Manhattan and beyond to view monuments, tombstones, and even an authentic Egyptian original, known as Cleopatra's Needle. But how and why did the obelisk become and remains so popular?

It may seem a bit morbid (and certainly too soon to be considering this), but I'd like to have an obelisk for a tombstone, complete with hieroglyphic inscriptions and my name bound in a cartouche. With that, no, I do not want to be mummified! Everyone always asks me that :/

Egyptian Researchers Claim to Have Exact Date for Great Pyramid

Originally published August 4, 2009 | RIA Novosti

Has the Great Pyramid given up another secret?

A group of Egyptian researchers claims to have hit on an exact date for the construction of Khufu's pyramid, the largest of the three Great Pyramids at Giza.

The team, led by Dr. Abdel-Halim Nureddin, says work on the pyramid was started on 23 August, 2470 BC. The local governor told reporters that the date will now be celebrated as National Giza Day.

Click the above link to read the full story at RIA Novosti.

Egyptian experts to Conserve Mummy in Hyderabad Museum

Originally published July 29, 2009 | Thaindian News

Expert assistance from Egypt is finally on its way to conserve an Egyptian mummy dating back to 2500 BC at a museum here.

The mummy, believed to be of Nasihu, daughter of the sixth Pharaoh of Egypt, is on display at the Andhra Pradesh State Archaeological Museum here since 1930 but is now decaying.

Background information is given about the Old Kingdom mummy along with the conservation procedure she will go through.

Follow the above link for the full story.

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.

The Changing Face of the Great Sphinx

Originally published June 17, 2009 | History Blog

I thought this was an interesting brief look at the history of the Great Sphinx at Giza - maybe you might find it interesting as well. Some pictures accompany the post.