Unraveling the DNA Behind the Mask

Originally published February 24, 2010 | Yale Daily News | by Erin Vanderhoof |

After 3,400 years, one of history’s oldest cold cases has finally been solved.

In addition to finding evidence that the legendary Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (better known as King Tut) died of malaria and suffered from a club foot, DNA analysis unveiled last week has identified a previously anonymous excavated mummy, KV55, as Tutankhamun’s father: Akhenaten, the rebellious pharaoh of Egypt’s Amarna period whose legacy disappeared for thousands of years. The DNA supports the theory of two Yale professors, who suggested that the androgynous figures of the period’s art reflect religious beliefs rather than representations of Akhenaten’s family.

This theory was presented by Yale Egyptology professors John Darnell and Colleen Manassa ’01 GRD ’05 in their 2007 book, "Tutankhamun’s Armies," which details the military and diplomatic technique of Egypt’s late 18th Dynasty, which ruled the country from 1550 B.C. to 1292 B.C.

Forthcoming Egyptology Books

Accessed February 5, 2010 | Blackwell Bookshop Online | Here's a list of some books that will be released and sold very soon. So, if you're like me and want to buy new publications for your personal library, follow the link and get to shopping. Upcoming publications include titles like Money in Ptolemaic Egypt, Preserving Egypt's Cultural Heritage, Ancient Egyptian Art, and The Legacy of Egyptian Mythology. A head's up, the prices listed at the e-commerce site are in English pounds.

New Book - Amarna Sunset

Accessed January 31, 2010 | The American University in Cairo Press | "A new account of the return to orthodoxy after Akhenaten’s revolution. [...] This new study, drawing on the latest research, tells the story of the decline and fall of the pharaoh Akhenaten’s religious revolution in the fourteenth century BC." Visit this web page for publication information, pricing, and related works from the author (Aidan Dodson).

New February/March 2010 Issue of Ancient Egypt Magazine

Accessed January 31, 2010 | Ancient Egypt Magazine | Features include the following: The Rosetta Stone, News from Egypt, The Missing Link, Into Egypt's Eastern Desert, Investigating Early Mummification, The Cult of the Apis Bull, The Belly of Stones, Featured Pharaoh: Senusret III, Per Mesut: for young readers, and Architectural Gems. From this site you can purchase a copy of the magazine or read reviews of recent books and publications.

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.

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.

Abydos - The Most Sacred of Cities

Originally published January 28, 2010 | Al-Ahram Weekly Online | by Jill Kamil | A review of David O'Connor's Abydos: Egypt's First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris. Here's an excerpt of Jill's take on it:

Abydos: Egypt's First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris gives us new insights into the origins of kingship in Egypt and the organisation of early state. It reveals that writing has been found here that rivals in antiquity that of Mesopotamia. And it explores the significance of a fleet of boats, the earliest surviving in the world, unearthed at Abydos. "Each discovery raises new questions and issues, and indicates that further mysteries remain to be explored and resolved," writes O'Connor, and adds: "Abydos will continue to intrigue archaeologists, Egyptologists and lay enthusiasts for many generations to come."

Let me, however, hasten to add that this is not a book for the general reader who expects a publication described as: "The definitive account of one of Egypt's most important ancient sites, written by a world authority", to be a guidebook to the site. Abydos is most definitely a book by a scholar, for scholars, and for those enthusiasts who have some background in archaeology.

Book Review - Cairo Modern

Originally published January 15, 2010 | The Daily Collegian Online | by Stephannie Goga | For those of you who are avid readers, more specifically of literature set in Egypt and taking place in both ancient and modern times, here is a review of a recently re-published book, translated from Arabic to English. I may find it quite useful in my quest to create a more authentic picture in my future historical fiction novels (when I get to the 1930s, which is several books away from where I am now). Here is an excerpt from this review:

The novel, recently translated from Arabic, paints a glorious picture of Cairo in the 1930s, replete with cruises down the Nile River and elegant parties. Of course, societal and governmental changes also emerge, making the story a realistic portrait of Egypt at this time. [...] Mahfouz has passed away since the publication of this novel, and the Cairo that is illustrated in this novel probably has, too. Fortunately, readers can escape to this thrilling time period and indulge in the scandalous plot by picking up "Cairo Modern" -- no passport required.

Alexandria Library Merges Modern Technology with Ancient Relics

Originally published January 13, 2010 | CNN World | by George Webster | Features a brief history of the Library of Alexandria, both ancient and modern, the latter housing books and publications of every kind and on every subject, boasting the largest reading room in the world, and host many interesting exhibits. The current "Librarian of Alexandria" speaks of his endeavor to bring this historic institution into the digital age.

Publication - The Gazelle in Ancient Egyptian Art: Image and Meaning

Accessed October 23, 2009 | Electronic Tools and Ancient Near Eastern Archives

The following 2009 publication is a doctoral thesis penned by Åsa Strandberg of Uppsala University. Here is an excerpt from the abstract and the permalink to access the thesis:

This thesis establishes the basic images of the gazelle in ancient Egyptian art and their meaning. A chronological overview of the categories of material featuring gazelle images is presented as a background to an interpretation.

EES Lecture - In the Time of the Demigods

Accessed October 21, 2009 | EES

If you are in London, England mid-December, make plans to attend this half-day educational lecture, which has an amazing line-up of speakers, each discussing various topics including paleoanthropology, the emergence of Early Egypt in Oxford, and rubbish heaps (trust me, this last one is far more interesting than you think--at least it would to an archaeologist). Prior to all this excitement, there will be a book sale.

Follow the above link to discover more information about this program, which offers contact and registration information, the prospective agenda, location, and date/time.

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.

Herbert Winlock, Hatshepsut Thanks You

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

Hawass describes the prologue to his lecture at the Sofitel Hotel in Cairo, where he is inspired to give praise to Herbert Winlock after his grand-niece gives him a first edition and signed copy of Winlock's publication Excavations at Deir el-Bahri 1911-1931, which introduced the world to Hatshepsut. You know me: I'm set on finding this book and buying a copy for myself *wink*

Giza's Cave Underworld Finally Revealed

Originally published October 13, 2009 | Challenging the Past | by Marisa Sfakianou Bealby

See also the article at La Boite Archeologique

Perhaps the real reason Zahi Hawass is discrediting Collins is he'd rather be the one to make such a discovery. It would benefit his endeavors to bring more significant discoveries to Egyptian (rather than foreign) archaeologists and Egyptologists. Yesterday's posting about the hydrological work on the Sphinx attempts to disprove the theory of an underground chamber, but it's clear the SCA documented this work par vidéo only to say that they did examine the theory.

Book - The Libyan Anarchy: Inscriptions from Egypt's Third Intermediate Period

Accessed September 30, 2009 | Society of Biblical Literature | by Robert K Ritner

Perserving Giza's Archaeological Heritage

Originally published September 27, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

I recommend hopping over to the Giza Archives web site; it is truly amazing! I've been working on a novel of the historical fiction kind for a few years now and it will prove very useful to me indeed. By the way, my novel is set at the end of (roughly around October/November) 1926 and takes place at the Giza Necropolis, specifically at camp Emile Baraize and the Great Sphinx. I can't believe the diary pages in this archival database describe a very jovial Baraize, ever-willing to point out the details of the Great Sphinx ;) And what he points out to the diary writer is exactly what he points out to the main characters in my book! That is just too weird. I know I'll be using this as a resource for the remainder of my writing, particularly since Baraize is a hard man to peg in terms of finding his publications, which are mainly unpublished. Good thing that web site has this media too.

Oh yeah, and Dr. Hawass has some great ideas and things to say about the preservation of the Giza Necropolis and the dissemination of information and images on it.

Book - The Hittites' Thousand Gods

Originally published September 23, 2009 | Haaretz - Israel News | by Irit Ziffer

Book Review: Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers: One Hundred Ancient Egyptian Jobs

Originally published September 8, 2009 | Blogcritics Books | by Kristin Butcher

Follow the above link to discover more about this children's book. I think I may take a peek inside; it may prove useful in the development of one of my page at my web site (visit me at Egyptology Page: Book of Thoth).

New Publication - The West Delta Regional Survey

Accessed August 27, 2009 | David Brown Book Company

The following is a produce description of a new publication, penned by Penelope Wilson and Dimitris Grigoropoulos:

The West Delta Regional Survey is the result of five years of survey work carried out in Beheira and Kafr el-Sheikh Provinces as part of the Sais and its Hinterland Project and the Delta Survey of the Egypt
Exploration Society and Durham University, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The report by Penelope Wilson contains details of the current state of 70 archaeological sites (some of which are mapped here for the first time), their previous history and a photographic record. Dimitris Grigoropoulos discusses and dates the catalogue of pottery sherds, collected from most of the sites. The volume includes a CD with over 1,000 images of the sites catalogued by the Survey.

A New Letter (W) Has Been Added to the Chicago Demotic Dictionary

Originally published August 10, 2009 | Oriental Institute

A new letter has been added to the Chicago Demotic Dictionary (W). I have provided the direct link to that particular page in the CDD (the above link will send you to the home page of the CDD's table of contents, where you can download all letters of the dictionary).