Conference: Between Geb and Nut - the Egyptian View of the World

Published June 11, 2010 | El Blog Del Nilo - MARQ | by MARQ and presented by Marina Escolano Poveda | The following is an hour and a half-long video of the June 9th conference presented by Marina at the MARQ. She presents her lecture in Spanish. There is also a link to more videos on the exhibit, The Enigma of the Mummy, provided.

The Role of Women in Egypt's History Lecture - My Review

"What does Egypt have to do with Chicago?," you might wonder. I certainly do not, as I have come to know the rich cultural connection between this beautiful city and an ancient one and the many Egyptological opportunities that proliferate through its haunted streets and heavily embellished theaters, some having been frequented by the most infamous gangsters, from Dillinger to Capone. However, Chicago has cleared itself (mostly) clean of its corrupt history and has welcomed programs, events, and celebrations that have cultivated it into an Egyptological hot-spot, boasting names (both fictional and real) like Indiana Jones and Rick O'Connell; mystery writer, Elizabeth Peters; and Dr. Emily Teeter, whom you may have seen give commentary on the Discovery and History channels.

As evidence of the aforementioned, there had taken place just recently a free lecture entitled The Role of Women in Egypt's History, as given by Ambassador Nihad Zikry, Assistant Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Although it wasn't entirely about ancient Egypt, a subject that she used to introduce her presentation, it did give me an appreciation for modern Egyptian women like her who have been raised in a country - like so many others - where the advancement of women has been a slow process. It was the perfect presentation to attend on International Women's Day, indeed. There were quite a few men in attendance too - I brought one of them with me.

Ambassador Zikry started her presentation off with saying that the important role of women is not a newly acquired achievement; women throughout all history and cultures have consistently exhibited this endeavor, this inevitable desire. After all, "in ancient Egypt, the deity of wisdom was a woman, not a man." I'd have to disagree with that statement, as Thoth is the chief deity of wisdom. However, there are many powerful female deities worth a mention. You have Seshat, consort of Thoth (how appropriate that she's his counterpart), the goddess of writing, lady-scribe to the pharaohs and all Egyptian kings throughout Dynastic Egypt, Mistress of the Books. Without her skill and duty to write the names of the newly crowned rulers on the leaves of a sacred tree to preserve forever their names, they wouldn't've been known to their successors. Then you have Ma'at and Shai, goddess of social and religious order, truth, and justice and goddess of fate, respectively, key players during the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony. Without these goddesses, Osiris, his Four Sons, and the 42 Judges would have been unable to determine fairly the outcome of a decedent's otherworldly trial, leaving the dead person unadmitted into the Afterlife. It's very interesting indeed that Ambassador Zikry mentioned that the highest position a modern Egyptian woman has attained is a judge, when you consider that, in ancient times, women were portrayed as deities of judgment. Finally, there are the Seven Hathors, septuplets with the power of foresight, the ability to determine the future of a newborn Egyptian child's life, particularly it's death. You can add to that list as many Egyptian goddesses as you wish. Those are my contributions.

Ambassador Nihad Zikry also spoke briefly of Hatshepsut, how she took up the highest achievement any ancient Egyptian could attain at the time - that of king. I append the following pre-Dynasty 18 queens to the list of powerful Egyptian women, who mostly like reigned as king in their own right: Mer-Neith of Dynasty 1, Ni-Ma-et of Dynasty 3, Sobek-Neferu of Dynasty 12, Ah-Hotep I of Dynasty 17, and quite possibly Tiye and Nefertiti of Dynasty 18. As a side note, I'd add that this achievement has never been neither matched following her long and prosperous reign or her predecessors' reigns, nor allowed ever again until Cleopatra VII, who had to commit many sinful acts to maintain that power (I don't blame her). Following Dynasty 18, with help from Djehuti-Mes III, kings/pharaohs never called their wives "God's Wife of Amun" again, as it was a powerful title, one that made royal queens practically, if not actually, equal to their kings in status.

These are just reminders that women can be as successful in higher positions as men are, even if they don't think, feel, or express themselves in similar ways. So, to all women of the world, if a man tries to throw religious dogma or prejudice in your face as justification for being superior, you make sure you give him a lecture on the "reasons" their opinion is unjustified.

Man fears time, time fears the pyramids, the pyramids fear Mother Nature.

Related Links:

• Article: the Role of Women in Ancient Egypt
• American Research Center in Egypt Chicago Chapter
• The Egyptian Gallery at the Oriental Institute
• Explore Chicago

Lecture - The Tomb of Sennedjem: Little Jewel in the Beginning of Spanish Egyptology

Accessed March 18, 2010 | Instituto Valenciano de Egiptología | Join Marina Escolano, out of the EES and Durham University (among many other places), at the Royal Agricultural Society and Sports (C / Comedy, 12 - Valencia) on May 27 at 7:30pm for a free lecture she will be presenting on the tomb of Sennedjem, the discovery of which included a Spaniard, Eduard Toda i Güell. This announcement is in Spanish; click here to access an English translation. The link above gives a brief intro to TT1 and a nice description about my friend, Marina. Congratulations on your Fulbright scholarship!

KV63 - an Update from Jane Akshar

Originally published March 19, 2010 | Luxor News | by Jane Akshar | Jane details the latest about KV63: excavation work, restoration, etc. Follow the above link to read more. Here's an excerpt:

Otto opened the lecture by reminding us that whatever KV63 finally turns out to be it will always be the first tomb discovered since the tomb of Tutankhamen. It started with a search for foundation deposits for the tomb of KV10. Excavation revealed 2 huts to the west and 10 huts to the east. These were used by the workman who lived in the valley and filled with ostracha and other artifacts. Theodore Davies had excavated the east most huts 10, 9 and 9a but left the central area. Under hut 5 they found KV63. Consisting of a single chamber with a stack of 8 coffins and 28 huge storage jars. This season they have been working on restoration of the coffins and the contents of the jars. Within these jars they have found natron, pots, textiles and the ‘embalming bed’ that is now in the mummification museum.

Lectures - The Rosetta Stone

Accessed February 25, 2010

Thanks goes to Marina Poveda, one of the presenters of these lectures, for passing along this information on to me.

The following are some talks happening at the Assembly Hall of the Casa de Cultura, C/ Jaume II, 3. Novelda (Alicante):

1. Friday 5th of March at 20:00: La Piedra de Rosetta: Llave maestra de la egiptología, by Santiago Mallebrera, teacher of Egyptian language. Member of ITERU.
2. Friday 12th of March at 19:30: Más Allá de la Piedra de Rosetta: El papel fundamental de la lengua copta en el desciframiento de la escritura jeroglífica, by Marina Escolano, deputy director of the joint EES/Durham University archaeological expedition to Saïs (Sa el-Hagar, Egypt).

A poster for these lectures is available.

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.

Lecture - Ritual and Magic in Ancient Egypt

Originally published February 11, 2010 | Egypt at the Manchester Museum | On Saturday, March 6 from 10am to 4:30pm Drs. Mark Collier, Steven Snape, and Kasia Szpakowska present a program that will explore the role and use of magic in Ancient Egypt, how rituals were performed, and who performed them. Each speaker will present case studies designed to give attendees a detailed understanding of the expressions of ritual and magic in Pharaonic Egypt. Dr. Szpakowska presents The Darker Side of Magic in Ancient Egypt, Dr. Snape presents Pots, Potions, and Dancing Dwarves, Dr. Collier presents The Scorpion's Sting. In addition to the talks, guests are invited to the Department’s Garstang Museum where they will have the unique opportunity to handle and learn about key objects from the museum’s collection. The Manchester Museum has a brochure for the program available as well as a booking form.

Lecture - Interconnections and Trade Between Crete/the Aegean Islands and Egypt

Originally published February , 2010 | Challenging the Past | by Marsia Bealby | On February 20th at 2:00pm UK time Marisa Bealby of the University of Birmingham will be conducting a lecture on the interconnections and trade between Crete and Egypt from 1850 to 1400 B.C.E at the New Walks Museum in Leicester, UK.

Video - Petrie Museum Celebrates LGBT History Month

Originally posted January 28, 2010 | YouTube | by UCLTV | To celebrate LGBT History Month, for the third year, the UCL Petrie Museum has created an LGBT History Trail of objects that tell of homosexuality in ancient Egypt with considerable attention being paid to Egyptian myths and legends. John Johnston, PhD student in UCL Archaeology, points out a few of the objects on display that best represent this topic, which include reliefs, and sculptures, and a 12th Dynasty papryus. Directly related to this event is an exhibit called Beyond Osiris and Isis: Alternate Sexualities in Ancient Egypt, which I mentioned in my February 6th post (Upcoming Lectures & Workshops at the Petrie Museum) about a week ago. This exhibit lasts until April 1, 2010.

Upcoming Lectures & Workshops at the Petrie Museum

Accessed February 5, 2010 | Petrie Museum | Will you be in the London area? You may want to check out these upcoming events (lectures, workshops, and more), hosted by the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology:

• Date: February 9
  Lecture: Beyond Isis & Osiris: Alternative Sexualities in Egypt
  Time: 6 - 8pm
  Venue: Malet Place at the Petrie Museum
  Location: London, UK
  



• Date: February 19
  Lecture: Ancient Egypt in National Museums Liverpool
  Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  Venue: Lecture Theatre, G6 Institute of Archaeology
  Location: 31-34 Gordon Square WC1E; London, UK



• Date: June 26
  Workshop: Egypt on TV
  Time: 9:30am - 5:00pm
  Venue: The Wish FM Lounge, DW Football Stadium
  Location: Loire Drive, Robin Park, WN5 0UH; Wigan, UK
  

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.

Lectures - Zahi Hawass in Canada, Germany, and the US

Accessed February 2, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Zahi Hawass | Two upcoming lectures with Zahi Hawass as the speaker will be occurring in Toronto, Canada and Hamburg, Germany. Here is the information concerning both dates:

• Date: March 26, 2010
  Lecture: Dr. Zahi Hawass: My Discoveries
  Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
  Location: Am Dammtor, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
  Venue: Congress Centre Hamburg
  Ticket & more info



• Date: March 8, 2010
  Lecture: Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed
  Time: 7:30 pm
  Location: 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
  Venue: War Memorial Auditorium Opera House
  Ticket & more info



• Date: March 6, 2010
  Lecture: Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed
  Time: 7:00 pm
  Location: 31 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario
  Venue: Convocation Hall
  Ticket & more info

Upcoming Egypt Exploration Society Lectures and Classes

Accessed January 31, 2010 | EES | The following are upcoming ESS and non-ESS lectures, symposiums, and classes on various topics of Egyptology (click on the event titles to find more information including event descriptions and contact and registration information):

• Date:February 9 - March 16, 2010
  Class: From Dung Beetles to Double Crowns
  Presenter: Carol Andrews
  Where: The EES 3 Doughty Mews, London WC1N 2PG
  
• Date: March 17, 2010
  Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
  Free Lecture: Radiocarbon Dating and The Egyptian Chronology
  Presenters: Professor Christopher Bronk Ramsey and Dr Andrew Shortland
  Where: Oxford University Museum of Natural History in Oxford, UK
  
• Date: March 17 - 18 2010
  Free Symposium: Radiocarbon Dating and the Egyptian Chronology
  Where: Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street in Oxford, UK
  
• Date: May 10 - 12, 2010
  Lecture: Experiment and Experience: Ancient Egypt in the Present
  Where: The Egypt Centre, Singleton Park in Swansea SA2 8PP
  
• Date: June 10 - 12, 2010
  Conference: Disciplinary Measures? Histories of Egyptology in a Multi-Disciplinary Context
  Speakers: Elliott Colla, David Jeffreys, Jaromir Malek, Stephen Quirke and Donald Reid
  Where:TBA

Upcoming Lectures - London Examines Nefertiti and Chicago, Ancient Egyptian Women in Society

Accessed January 18, 2010 | Egypt at the Manchester Blog and Neighborhood Star | The following are the dates, times, location, topics, and a tiny excerpt of each upcoming lecture:

• Date: March 8, 2010
  Time:6:00pm
  Location: Millennium Park Room at the Chicago Cultural Center - Chicago, IL
  Lecture: The Role of Women in Egypt's History, by Ambassador Nihad Zikry, Assistant Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs
  Excerpt:

  At the invitation of the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Chicago, H.E. Ambassador Nihad Zikry, Assistant Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs, will speak about the role of women throughout Egypt's history in celebration of Women's History Month.

• Date: February 10, 2010
  Time:3:00pm
  Location: Kanaris Lecture Theatre, The Manchester Museum - Manchester, UK
  Lecture: Re-Writing Nefertiti, by Dr. Joyce Tyldesley
  Excerpt:

  This Showcase Seminar will consider the distorting effect that the Berlin head has had on the public perception of Nefertiti, before reviewing the archaeological evidence for her life and death.

• Date: January 21, 2010
  Time: 7:30pm
  Location: Marie Irwin Community Center - Homewood, IL
  Lecture: Beyond Harpists and Housewives: Women and Their Employment in Ancient Egypt, by Megaera Lorenz, University of Chicago graduate student
  Excerpt:

  "Despite their misleadingly low profile in the historical record, women were active participants in ancient Egypt's economy," said Lorenz. "This talk examines a few of the varied and often surprising ways that ancient Egyptian women found employment"

I believe all of these lectures and workshops are free admission, especially the one at the Cultural Center.

Arts Center Collaborates with UALR in Ancient Egypt Course

Originally published January 15, 2010 | Maumelle Monitor | The following is an excerpt from the Maumelle Monitor. Click the above link to read the article in its entirety.

Collaborating with the Arkansas Arts Center, the University of Arkansas College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is bringing ancient Egypt to UALR this semester [... with] a course to coincide with the World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed exhibit. [...] Throughout the spring semester, scheduled lectures and discussions will take place in the Art Center’s exhibition space. Students will choose a piece from the exhibit to use for research projects and presentations.

For more information contact Amrhein at by phone 501 569 3182, via email lmamhrein@ualr.edu, or visit the UALR Department of Art and the Arkansas Arts Center on the web.

Upcoming Lectures and Events in Egyptology

If you have any free time, you may wish to attend any or all of the following upcoming lectures and events around the world (to attend them all, you would need to spend some money on plane tickets, so perhaps it is silly to encourage visiting them all):

When: January 27
Where: Our Lady of Lourdes High School Auditorium in Poughkeepsie, NY
Lecture: Dr. Bob Brier's The Secret of the Great Pyramid
Price: Free admission

When: January 16
Where: press room of the Palma-Arena, C/ de l'Uruguai s/n, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Lecture: Marina Escolano Poveda's Beyond the Rosetta Stone. The Fundamental Role of the Coptic Language in the Decipherment of the Hieroglyphic Script

When: Through May 2010
Where: Greece (contact info is provided at Challenging the Past)
Seminars: Hellenic Society for the Study of Ancient Egypt

When: February 20
Where: University of London, Garden Halls - London, England
Workshop: Forensic Aspects of Ancient Egypt

The Valley of the Kings Since King Tut

Originally published November 8, 2009 | Zahi Haswass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Dr. Hawass reminisces on the anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and speaks about the symposium that was held in celebration of this event and the opening of the Carter Museum and the new entrance at Luxor Temple. Check out the pictures that accompany the blog post.

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.

Exhibit at the Petrie Museum and Free Lectures

Originally published October 1, 2009 | Challenging the Past Blog | by Marsia Sfakianou Bealby

If you are near the greater London area, there are some great Egyptological things beckoning to you: an exhibit entitled Framing the Archaeologist: Portraits and Excavation, which runs from Sept. 22 - December 19, and a couple of free lectures: Ancient Egypt, Racial Construction and Robert Knox and Inventing Traditions: Performances in Pre-Dynastic Cemeteries. The where, when, what, and how much are listed at Challenging the Past, with a direct link to the Petrie Museum's web site.

Museums in Alexandria - Zahi Hawass' Visit and Lecture

Originally published October 7, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass