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.

Solving the "Blue" Mystery - New Kingdom Pottery

Originally published March 17, 2010 | Washington University in St. Louis | by Diana Lutz | An excerpt:

What was she doing in the tunnel?

The answer: seeking an uncontaminated sample of a mineral that might have been the key ingredient in the blue used to decorate "blue painted pottery" popular among the Egyptian elite during the New Kingdom (1550-1079 BC).

Colleague Colin A. Hope, PhD, an expert in blue painted pottery, had asked if she wouldn’t help him pin down the source of the blue pigment by sampling and analyzing material from the mine.

Hope and Smith, together with Paul Kucera, a doctoral student at Monash University in Australia who first identified the mines, describe the pottery, the mines and the mineral in a chapter of Beyond the Horizon, a festschrift for the Egyptologist Barry A. Kemp

Excavations in the Valley of the Kings

Originally published March 14, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass | An excerpt:

One of the most famous sites in Egypt has always been the Valley of the Kings, which has revealed to us such wonders as the tomb of Tutankhamun. However, all of the major discoveries of the past were made by foreign archaeologists. I was determined that Egyptian archaeologists should become part of the process of excavation and discovery, so in November 2007, the first all-Egyptian team to ever work in the Valley began excavating the area behind the tomb of Merenptah.

In the cliffs behind the tomb we discovered channels that the ancient Egyptians dug to redirect the “tears of the gods,” the flood, in order to preserve the tombs. In the course of our excavations, we recorded many new graffiti in the Valley and found many ostraca, which are pieces of limestone or pottery with drawings and inscriptions. The inscriptions found were very interesting, including a picture of an old lady, the cartouche of Ramses II and many descriptions and other things.

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.

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.

Egypt Exhibit Opens in Vegas Natural History Museum

Originally published January 30, 2010 | KTNV ABC | The following is an excerpt announcing a new permanent exhibit at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, which opened yesterday (January 30):

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum in downtown Las Vegas is celebrating a milestone thousands years in the making. This Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, the Museum opens a new permanent exhibit called The Treasures of Egypt, which features nearly 500 reproduced artifacts including the tomb of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

The exhibit, located in the museum's new 4,000-square-foot Egyptian Pavilion expansion, provides a glimpse into the ancient past of Egyptian civilization. It features replicas generously donated by MGM MIRAGE that were formerly on display in the King Tut Museum & Tomb inside the Luxor Las Vegas, including the world-famous guardian statues, King Tut's sarcophagus and an array of statues, vases, baskets and pottery. The Museum was able to recreate the tomb of King Tut as discovered by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt in 1922. This unique replica of the actual tomb is the only known exhibit of its kind outside of Egypt.

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.

Museum's Egypt Exhibition Follows in Footsteps of Victorian Traveler

Originally published September 3, 2009 | Yorkshire Post

The Francis Frith's Egypt exhibition, opening next Wednesday, September 9, will feature photographs and ancient objects, including a mummy's mask, jewelery, pottery and textiles. There will be two sets of photographs, those taken by Victorian photographer Francis Frith during the 19th century and those by Egyptologist Bob Partridge of modern times. Partridge's photographs will showcase how Egyptian monuments have changed since Frith's time.

Signs of Ancient Port in Kerala

Originally published August 3, 2009 | The Telegraph | by G.S. Mudur

Even though this article is not exclusively about Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egypt is a featured contribution (rather, is mentioned in terms of discovery): the ancient Indian Ocean trade hub of Muziris has possibly been unearthed at Pattanam, in southwestern India where archaeologists have found Egyptian pottery among other artifacts.

Ancient Fortress City Unearthed in Egypt

Originally published July 14, 2009 | Discovery News | by Rossella Lorenzi

More news regarding the recent discovery of a military town in Tell Dafna, the largest in the eastern Delta. Information is given about its size; its location compared to other cities; its importance throughout history, including the fairly recent present when Petrie excavated there, and to several well-known rulers such as Ramesses II and Psammetichus I; the current undergoings by the SCA to rescue it from modern development; the role the British Museum is playing in the project and their plans; the material findings there that support the fact that the site held military and trading importance in ancient times; and further developments as new discoveries are uncovered such as a temple and palace.

Press Release - Fortified Garrison Town Discovered in the Northeastern Delta

Originally published July 1, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog

A handful of pictures illustrate this blog post, which gives a more comprehensive description of the discoveries made at Tel Dafna, which include a mud brick temple and palace, storage magazines, drainage networks, pottery vessels, Amphora, grinding stones, amulets, and alabaster pots. Hawass and Maksoud give their accounts of the discoveries including the "who," "what," and "when." It ends with a generic list of people involved in the discovery.

The Mysterious Osiris Shaft of Giza

Originally published June 15, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

Thought to hid secret paths to the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, Hawass excavates a water-filled shaft that served as a swimming hole and source of drinking water to find its true function. The process is not without difficulty, but the finds are worth the hazards. Further excavation is in the works.