Avenue of Lost Sphinxes to be Unveiled Soon

Originally published March 14, 2010 | Times Online | by Matthew Campbell | I have a love-hate relationship with this endeavor - that of uncovering and restoring the Avenue of the Sphinxes. I commend the restoration work, but wish the effort wasn't a rushed affair. It's archaeology - it should be a slow process, not only to take care with ancient artifacts, but to avoid making mistakes (historical and ethical). Yes, it's a great future touristic hot-spot, but catering to tourism should come second to good archaeology.

The following is an excerpt:

A HIDDEN wonder of the ancient world is to be unveiled in Egypt after excavation of the first stretch of a two-mile avenue lined with hundreds of carved sphinxes.

Built more than 3,000 years ago, the so-called Avenue of Sphinxes linked two giant temples and was used once a year for a religious procession. It was gradually buried by silt and built over after falling out of use in the 5th century AD.

Now it is being uncovered and the first part is expected to open within weeks. Visitors will have the chance to stroll under the imperious gaze of the sphinxes — mythological creatures with the body of a lion and head of a human or ram.

...

Controversy has surrounded the project, not least because of the speed of the excavation in which bulldozers have cut a 100-yard trench through some of the densely populated districts of Luxor.

Foreign archeologists say historical buildings have been demolished to make way for a lucrative new attraction.

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.

Course in Egypt - The Life and Works of the Theban Royal Tomb Makers

Accessed February 6, 2010 | Bloomsbury Summer School/Academy | Join John Romer, Renowned expert on Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Kings, for a week-long series of lectures in the heart of Luxor November 10 - 17, 2010. Here is the course description:

The extraordinary achievement of the royal tombs of Thebes cannot be fully appreciated without an understanding of the environment in which they were made. John Romer will re-explore with you the world of the Theban New Kingdom. He will consider how and why the first royal tombs were made at Thebes, and how the tomb makers who lived at Deir el Medina elaborated that tradition to create the great tombs of the Valley of the Kings. He will also explore the purposes and meanings of these tombs - and something also, of the lives and times of the archaeologists and Egyptologists who have shaped our present understanding of them. Finally, in the light of fresh and, as yet, largely unpublished evidence, he will outline a new history of the ending of the Valley of the Kings and of the remarkable community of those who worked there.

Click the above link to find a list a suggested reading, booking and programme information, and registration fees.

Book - The Lost Tombs of Thebes: Life in Paradise

Originally published October 20, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Dr. Hawass announces a new publication of his, which tells the story of the private Theban tombs along with many others. There is also a German version: Die verbotenen Gräber in Theben. It's an expensive book, but if you wish to splurge a little, visit Amazon to buy a copy for your own collection.

Battle of the Louvre

Originally published October 14, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

In his own words, Dr. Hawass gives more details on the process to regain five fragments discovered in the hands of the Louvre illegally. Among the legal stuff, he describes how these fragments fit into Egyptian history (Dynasty 18, to be exact).

International Colloquium - Science and New Technologies Applied to Archaeology

Originally published October 9, 2009 | Challenging the Past | Marisa Bealby

Submit your papers (in English, German, or French) related to the theme at the 2010 international colloquium entitled The Temples of Millions of Years and Royal Power at Thebes in the New Kingdom: Science and New Technologies applied to Archaeology. Deadline is November 15, 2009.

TB the Culprit in the Great Mummy Whodunnit

Originally published September 29, 2009 | Yahoo! News and AFP

International Colloquium: Pharaonic Renaissance

Accessed August 20, 2009 | The American Research Center in Egypt

The following is an excerpt from the American Research Center in Egypt:

This international colloquium at Montepulciano, Italy, focuses on the period of the 25th and 26th Dynasty and tries to shed light on the phenomenon of archaism that characterized the cultural life of Egypt in those centuries.

Either follow the above link to read more about this international colloquium or read the Montepulciano Colloquium Program. The program starts tomorrow (Friday, August 21) and ends Sunday (August 23), so if you're in Italy near Firenze and Montepulciano, check it out.

Lecture - The Last New Kingdom Tomb at Thebes

Accessed July 7, 2009 | The British Museum

On July 20, the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Distinguished Lecture in Egyptology 2009 presents a lecture entitled the Last New Kingdom Tomb at Thebes: the End of a Great Tradition. The above link gives the who, where, when, and how much.

The Mummy Returns

Originally published June 29, 2009 | BBC News - Northern Ireland

The Ulster Museum reopens in October and with it the display of a mummified girl, whose popularity is expected to bring visitors back to the museum. Read this article to learn a little more about her.

Taking a Shot at Archaeology

Accessed June 12, 2009 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online | by Nevine El-Aref

This article at Al-Ahram Weekly Online gives more information on the new photography exhibit at the Egyptian Museum, as experienced by Nevine El-Aref, the opening of which Zahi Hawass announced on June 4, 2009 (see my blog entry from June 6). It is called Europe-Egypt: A long lasting Archaeological Cooperation and highlights more than a century of archaeological cooperation between Europe (16 countries-worth) and Egypt. It runs through July 30, 2009.

A few pictures accompany the article, which feature exploration at Bir Al-Showish, restoration work at the funerary temple of Thutmosis III, and copper melting experiment in Ain Sokhna.

A poster of this exhibit is also provided.