Luxor Temple Excavations

Originally published February 9, 2010 | Luxor News Blog | by Jane Akshar | Ms. Akshar gives us a peek at the continuing excavations happening near Luxor, especially those done at the tell behind the Pashas House. She gives approving remarks about the field schools that train professionals on the job. Jane also includes several pictures capturing a few great sites to see near the area, including talatat bricks of the Amarna Period.

Otto Schaden's Dig Diary Feb 13 Update

Originally published February 13, 2010 | Dig Diary KV-63 | by Mudir Schaden | A few bits of news concerning the restoration work on and conservation of several of the items discovered within KV-63 including a funeral mask, coffin fragments and an infant's coffin, pottery and ceramics, and seal impressions. To see these items in there current state, photos are provided. My favorite is the funeral mask. It's so delicate and has a lovingly welcoming expression that makes me smile.

The Taharqa Gate: the Week of the Brick

Originally published January 29, 2010 | Brooklyn Museum Blog | by Mary McKercher | This post illustrates in beautiful pictures the work that is being done at the Taharqa Gate. Each day reveals new insight about the enclosure. Click the above link to review the Johns Hopkins University excavation's progress and see the amazing photos.

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.

Festival of Archaeologists at Cairo Opera House

Origianlly published January 28, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass | On a very significant day every year for the past four years, Dr. Hawass and friends get together to celebrate the achievements and progress of Egyptian archaeology, create a place for them to cohort with each other and their foreign colleagues, watch a video representation of all the projects that Egyptian archaeologists are overseeing and training programs that they are implementing, and honor current and long past Egyptian archaeologists of great importance. This blog post chronicles this year's festival.

Egypt Tombs Suggest Pyramids Not Built by Slaves

Originally published January 10, 2010 | Yahoo! News |

Hardly a surprise is what this article chronicles (along with many other sources): a new set of tombs built for the pyramid builders of the Giza Pyramids proves that they were Egyptian citizens rather than slaves.

Here are some another great sources concerning this recent piece of archaeological news, which includes a little more information and pictures: Press Release - New Tombs Found at Giza - Zahi Hawass' Blog and Tomb Discovery Helps Solve Ancient Slavery Riddle of the Pyramids - Daily Mail

Somewhere in the world, 57 academics just punched the air.

New Tombs Found at Saqqara

Originally published January 5, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass |

Saqqara yields two rediscovered tombs, dating back 2,500 years, the oldest found in the area, replete with human and falcon remains and pottery. Despite it having been looted and explored throughout the millennia, it proves that Saqqara has many more secrets.

Three sources announce different facts about the discoveries in addition to Dr. Hawass' account, which is far more descriptive: The Sydney Morning Herald, which discloses mostly topographical information; IOL, which contains a few dates and measurements; and possibly the most interesting source from the Discovery New, which includes great photographs of the discovery.

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.

Photos - The Secrets of Tomb 10A at MFA

Originally published October 22, 2009 | The Phoenix | by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

The following is a pictographic slideshow of sorts, illustrating different scenes from tomb 10A, a preview of an upcoming exhibit focusing mainly around a noble named Djehutynakht and his wife. Some of the artifacts include wooden model scenes, a coffin, statuettes, the mummy head of Djehutynakht (with one less tooth, I'd imagine), and vintage photographs from the tomb of Djehutynakht from 1915.

Valley of The Kings Tombs Endangered By Fracture Zones

Originally published October 19, 2009 | redOrbit

The following is an excerpt from Yahoo! News, another source reporting on the same news story:

A trick used by ancient Egyptians to exploit cracks in Earth to make tomb-digging easier has come back to haunt the Valley of the Kings, new evidence suggests.

While the natural fractures were followed to carve out burial sites, several instances show, rare heavy rainfall events can flood the tombs. Archaeologists are racing to map and photograph the tombs to better preserve their contents and figure out ways to divert the rain.

Another source reporting on the same story can be found at United Press International

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.

Bahariya Oasis Discoveries

Originally published October 21, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Hawass recounts the process he pursued that led him to discovering great things in the Bahariyan Oasis, namely the tomb of a governor called Djedkhonsu and his relatives, mummies from Dynasty 26, and a chapel built for the god Amun-Re. These discoveries however did not come without a little "help" from the locals whose houses were built atop these areas of special interest. Hawass reassures his readers by mentioning the care he and his team took to maintain the well-being and relocation of the people after having demolished their homes.

Photo - Philae Temple

Originally published October 16, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Photo Blog | photo credited to the SCA

The temple of Isis at Philae is one of the most beautiful and best preserved Greco-Roman temples in Egypt. Most of the temple was built by the Ptolemaic rulers as part of their promotion of the cult of Isis, which lasted well into the Roman Period. In the 1970’s the temple was relocated to preserve it from the rising waters resulting from the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

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).

Hawass' Trip to Moscow for the International Egyptology Conference

Originally published October 5, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Video - EES Oral History Project: Harry Smith on Buhen

Originally published September 28, 2009 | EES - YouTube

Professor Smith reminisces in this video, speaking about the now-lost fortress site of Buhen in Egyptian Nubia, an EES archaeological site. The video also features images from the Society's archives and footage shot by EES member Dr Anthony Hovenden during a visit to Buhen in 1962.

The Pyramids of Dashur 3: The Black Pyramid

Originally published September 30, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Photo - Beni Hassan Tomb

Originally published September 29, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Photo Blog | photo credits by Ken Garrett

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.

Picture - Dr. Hawass Examines the KV55 Mummy

Originally published September 23, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Photo Blog | picture credited to Maggie Bryson